As part of the Maltese Presidency of the Council of Europe, SportMalta in collaboration with the European Commission and the Youth section of the European Non Governmental Sport Organisations (ENGSO Youth) hosted the European Youth Sport Forum in Malta between March 10 and 13, 2017.

Over 120 youth sport leaders from all member states were invited to share their ideas and their knowledge. European University Sports Association (EUSA) was presented at the event by its Student Commission Chair Ms Anna Edes as a participant, while EUSA Communications and Projects Manager Mr Andrej Pisl attended the event as a rapporteur and observer. Several other participants from university sport family took part in the Forum as well, being active in the International University Sports Federation (FISU), Croatian Academic Sport Federation (CASF), Finnish Student Sports Federation (OLL), Polish University Sport Association (AZS), past EUSA events organisers, as well as EUSA volunteers.



The event was opened by Director General Sport Mr Mark Cutajar, Chair of SportMalta Mr Luciano Musuttil, Secretary General of ENGSO Youth Ms Nevena Vukasinovic, Head of Sport Unit at the European Commission Mr Yves Le Lostecque and Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sports Mr Chris Agius. Throughout the Forum, following plenary presentation and workshop activities, the participants developed a set of recommendations and actions which form the Pink Paper on the topics of social inclusion and volunteering, healthy lifestyle, and sport diplomacy. These topics were formally identified as the key priorities in the frame of the Maltese presidency.



Keynote speeches reflected the Forum themes: Sport as a Catalyst for Social Inclusion; Volunteers in the Centre of the World; Pink Paper; Best practices on Social Inclusion and Volunteering through Sport; Fighting Obesity through Physical Activity; Nutrition and its impact on Public Health. Similarly did the panel debates: Role of Ambassadors for Sport, Intercultural Dialogue through Sport, and the workshops. Event programme encompassed also several sports activities, under the #beactive slogan and healthy lifestyle challenge. Participants were also able to network and present their organisations in a fair.



Participants also attended a debate on sport as a means of diplomacy in the Maltese House of Parliament, lead by the Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr Anglu Farrugia, with attendance of key members of the parliament.



The final plenary discussion was held in attendance with key stakeholders and policy makers, including the President of the Republic of Malta Mrs Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, Head of Sport Unit at the European Commission Mr Yves Le Lostecque, as well as representatives of the Ministries, Universities, Sports federations, and youth participants.



EYSF 2017 Pink Paper recommendations put forward by the youth delegates will be communicated to the European Commission. The recommendations aim to further inform and prompt decision makers to change agendas on values, priorities and concerns of the European youth already having an impact at a local, national and European level. The document serves as the active contribution and engagement of Europe’s youth within the European Work Plan for Sport and the Europe 2020.



The first edition of the European Youth (and) Sport Forum was held in 2002 in Aarhus, and in 2017 this is the 8th edition of the Forum. Since 2008, a Pink Paper is issued after the event, gathering recommendations, and providing concrete points of action - solutions, to be implemented in order to tackle the problems it addresses.

Please see www.eu17sportmalta.com and www.youth-sport.net for more information.