Calling on MEPs to #SAVESPORTSPONSORSHIP
Vote Tuesday for AM38 (AM27cp2)
Report Trillet-Lenoir (BECA A9-0001/2022)
Dear Members of the European Parliament,
Sports contribute to the well-being of our society, encouraging activity and bringing people together to lead healthy and social lifestyles. Sponsorship makes activities more accessible, providing funding, equipment and facilities to develop amateur and professional sports through partnerships that feed the grassroots and help raise profiles. Sports sponsorship provides benefits for clubs, brands, athletes, teams, spectators, players and communities.
The sustainability of thousands of sporting clubs, teams and events is however being put under threat by recommendations to cut sponsorship. This would not only impact the organisations but also the sportspeople, spectators and communities that benefit from this extra support. It would also damage the business models of advertisers, agencies, sponsors, media, broadcasters and venues that capitalise on the support around sports activities. These are partnerships that have typically been in place for many decades, often bringing together communities, local employers and society at the regional, local and grassroots level.
This 15 February the European Parliament’s plenary meeting is scheduled to vote on a draft opinion that currently recommends a complete ban on all alcohol sponsorship of sport.
During the vote on Report Trillet-Lenoir (BECA A9-0001/2022) we call on all MEPs to amend the full ban and support :
AMENDMENT 38 (AM27cp2)
What the amendment does is prohibit alcohol sponsorship targeted at children and adolescents. This brings the proposals into line with other recommendations around alcohol advertising and the protection of minors.
Supporting this amendment will also contribute to safeguarding the existence of sports clubs and events that have been hit hard over the last two years, with Covid restrictions both on participating in and spectating sports. Ticket revenues have shrunk, teams have seen their numbers decimated and public funds are also more and more stretched. As grassroots sports and events often struggle for their very existence, the last thing they need are mis-targeted measures that further impact their operations. With this amendment, MEPs would redress the balance, helping to protect sports whilst giving encouragement to all the partners in the sports support chain to pursue their efforts to ensure sponsorship be conducted in a responsible manner.
Kind regards,
Sports Sponsorship Coalition
Supporters
