The European Commission organised in Brussels a seminar on sport diplomacy on December 5, 2017. The Seminar was attended by over 120 participants, representatives of the European Parliament, EU Member States, as well as several European Sport Federations; among them also the European University Sports Association (EUSA).

In the Opening Session Mr Yves Le Lostecque, Head of Sport Unit at European Commission, Mr Tarvi Purn, Undersecretary of Sport of Estonia, Mr Bogdan Wenta, European Parliament Member and Mr Niels Nygaard, Vice President of the European Olympic Committees addressed the participants; presenting the latest results and initiatives in sports diplomacy.



The seminar continued with the presentation of good practices, panel discussion on sport as a tool for diplomacy and the latest updates from the European Commission. In the afternoon, workshops on European Week of Sport, Mobility of athletes and coaches and debate on how sport increase the international position of a country were organised.



In the conclusion, the participants were addressed by Ms Gabriela Kozareva, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria and Ms Antoaneta Angelova Krasteva, Director of Innovation, International Cooperation and Sport, European Commission.



The seminar was also an opportunity for EUSA representative, Secretary General Mr Matjaz Pecovnik, to meet and discuss with several representatives of European Commission, partner institutions and sport organisations; such as European Olympic Committees (EOC), European Non-Governmental Organisation (ENGSO), European Handball Federation (EHF), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and many others.