An informal meeting of European NOCs with EU Ministers for sport was organised under the Slovenian Presidency in the Brdo Castle near by Ljubljana, last 17 March, in cooperation with the Slovenian NOC.
Some 15 NOCs belonging to the EU countries, 5 Western Balkan NOCs, and the EOC Executive Committee headed by President Patrick Hickey, Vice President Sasha Kozlovsky and Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi met the EU Sports Ministers for an exchange of views on the Social Significance and Dialogue in Sport.
At the end of the meeting, participants accepted the Joint Declaration signed by Mr. Patrick Hickey, President of the EOC, Mr. Janez Kocijančič, President of Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Mr. Jan Figel, European Commissioner responsible for sport and Mr. Milan Zver, Minister of Education and Sport on behalf of the EU Presidency.
The more we integrate and cooperate well together the best it is for everybody” stated the EOC President during the press conference that followed the meeting.
In the Joint Declaration adopted, the Ministers and the Presidents of the National Olympic Committees undertook to strengthen intercultural dialogue, emphasized the importance of education and the socialising role of sport, underlined the social importance of sports organisations, and specifically underlined the responsible and active approach of all the interested parties in the area of sport.
