Roberto Pella, European Committee of the Regions (CoR) rapporteur on "Building a values-based, bottom-up European sports model: a vehicle for encouraging inclusion and social well-being among young Europeans," participated in the Stakeholders’ Dialogue on the European Parliament’s own-initiative report on the "Role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model." In his remarks, Pella highlighted the crucial role of sport in fostering social cohesion and inclusion. He called for a more inclusive European sports model that prioritises grassroots involvement and values-based approaches. He emphasised that sport should not only focus on elite performance but also serve as a tool for promoting community well-being, combating social exclusion, and providing opportunities for young Europeans to develop essential life skills.
Pella proposed several key measures to improve European sports infrastructure and support inclusion through sport. Among these, he suggested a temporary suspension from the Stability Pact for investments in sports infrastructure with a high financial and social return on investment (SROI). This would allow for enhancement, modernisation, and improvement of European sports infrastructures. He also called for the integration of objectives related to inclusion, solidarity, and social cohesion into the European Social Fund, aiming to use sport as a vehicle to address these goals.
Additionally, Pella advocated for co-programming and co-designing a larger share of regional development funds, structural funds, and EU cohesion policies for small-scale interventions and playgrounds. This would explicitly aim to promote grassroots sport across territories, with particular emphasis on outdoor infrastructure such as parks, green areas, and public spaces, especially in municipalities where sports facilities are developed and managed locally.
He further proposed enhancing the sports tourism asset through European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), prioritising activities like running, walking, and cycling. Additionally, Pella called for the creation of a physical and digital mapping of all existing sports facilities to facilitate access for all citizens, including city users and tourists. This would ensure that new or renovated facilities are geographically well-distributed within the European sports ecosystem.
Another key proposal by Pella was the establishment of orientation and skill-strengthening programmes, including transversal skills, for those under 35 through sport. These programmes would aim to prevent and counter the phenomenon of NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and address the mismatch between labour demand and supply. This would also involve extending the European Solidarity Corps to volunteers in the sports sector, providing longer durations and the possibility of extending or renewing these opportunities within local territories.
Pella also called for enhanced EU support for local and regional sports infrastructure, stressing the importance of investment in small-scale projects and facilities accessible to all, particularly in underprivileged areas. He further proposed that EU funding mechanisms should better integrate social objectives, ensuring that sport can be a vehicle for broader societal benefits, including youth engagement, education, and mental health.
Present at the event were other key participants, including Iwona Łotyś, representing the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and Giorgio Guazzugli-Marini, Acting Head of Unit for Sport at the European Commission.
Later this year, Pella, who also serves as President of the Lega Italiana Ciclismo Professionistico, will hold an event titled "Cyclism, Values and Territories - Italian Regions' Cup 2025" at the 5th Floor - Atrium (JDE building - Committee of the Regions) on Wednesday, 2nd April at 13:00.