“Volunteers should be recognized for their work, whilst the government does its utmost to provide them with the necessary skills that are recognized and certified” said Mr Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport during the official opening of the seminar “Engaging Skillful Volunteers”. The seminar marks the opening of the sport activities related to sports for the Maltese Presidency of the European Union.

The seminar was held in Malta on November 30, tackling a number of issues related to volunteering in sport such as good governance and the role of the volunteer. There were also a number of workshops during which participants could learn more about good practices that already exist in other countries and topics such the role of the parents as volunteers, volunteering that leads to a career in sports and volunteering during mega events.



During his speech Mr Mark Cutajar, Director General of Sports and the Chief Executive of SportMalta said that it is an honour for SportMalta to be entrusted by the Ministry of Education to organize all the work related to sports in relation to the Presidency. Social inclusion and volunteering are Malta’s priorities for the Presidency and so this seminar represents the first initiative in a wide and long process leading to conclusions at the end of the term.



The seminar was attended by over a hundred participants, among them also Mr Matjaz Pecovnik, EUSA Secretary General and Mr Tarmo Jaakson, EUSA Executive Committee member, who attended the Seminar and Expert Group meeting on behalf of Estonian Ministry of Education. Professor Thierry Zintz from the University of Louvain and Dr. Geoff Nichols form the University of Sheffield were amongst the key speakers. Representatives of the European Commission, including Mr Yves Le Lostecque, the Head of the Sport Unit and Ms Agata Dziarnowska, Policy Officer were also in attendance.



During the event, EUSA representatives met with Mr Charles Camenzouli, AIPS Europe Secretary General as well as with Mrs Laura Capranica, President of the European Student as Athlete (EAS) to discuss the mutual cooperation between organisations. Mr Pecovnik also had an interview for the local television, where he presented EUSA and its activities.



The seminar preceded the HR Expert Group meeting which was held on December 1. EUSA holds an observer status in HR Expert Groups for volunteering. The experts are discussing important themes such as sport diplomacy, dual careers and the voluntary sector.



In March 2017, Malta will host the European Sports Forum, The European Youth Sport Forum and the Directors’ General Meeting amongst other activities during its EU Presidency.

For more information, please see www.sportmalta.org.mt.