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Items in our newsletter cover issues related to the health and fitness industry, such as, the latest developments at EU level; features that EHFA are currently working on; EHFA Members’ activities, and many others.  

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EHFA Editorial Team

Following the formal adoption of the Recommendation on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in April 2008 (see our Update No. 01-2008), the EU organized its first implementation conference which gathered some 230 representatives of national authorities, social partners, industry sectors and stakeholders' organisations  in Brussels on 3-4 June 2008.

The conference focused on questions such as how to best link national qualifications levels to the European framework, how to make them work across different educational sectors and how to validate non-formal and informal learning. Participants discussed, in particular, the role of National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) in the implementation of the EQF. NQFs are currently being developed in most Member States. The event also showcased specific projects which are already testing and developing the EQF and the learning outcomes approach through five workshops which were run in parallel.

Our sector was represented by the European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) and by Allan Pilkington who made a presentation during the workshop on “How can the EQF support the relating of national qualifications to qualifications issued by industry sectors and enterprises?”.   The key outcome of that workshop was to propose to the European Commission the establishment of a sectoral sub-group within the EQF Advisory Group.

The presentations from the EQF launch are available on the Commission’s website here

We would like to draw your attention to two new brochures on the EQF as prepared by the Commission’s services: "Explaining the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learnin" and "Descriptors Defining Levels in the European Qualifications Framework".  Both brochures are in English, the other language versions can be downloaded here

With regard to EHFA and the European Qualifications Framework, the EHFA Standards Council and its Technical Experts Group have already started their work towards aligning the existing Standards with the EQF.

EHFA is also preparing its submissions to the Commissions’ two new Calls for Proposals under the EQF and Educational Credits for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET).

From 1 July to 31 December 2008, France will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Presidency is held by each Member State of the EU in turn for a period of six months during which they organise and chair the European Council meeting. During this time, the Presidency is the "face and voice" of the European Union, speaking on behalf of all Member States.

The programme of the French Presidency is integrated into the broader combined Programme of the French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies, which will cover the next 18 months (1 July 2008 to 31 December 2009).

The combined Programme gives the following strategy with regard to Sport:

‘Bearing in mind the autonomy and specificity of sport organisations and sport activities, the Presidencies will focus on the follow-up of the Commission White Paper on Sport and of the "Pierre de Coubertin" Action Plan contained therein as regards its societal and economic dimensions as well as its governance. Special attention will be paid, inter alia, to the issues of sport and health, the fight against doping, including reinforcing Europe's position in the World Anti-Doping Agency, the education and training of the young sportswomen and sportsmen and support for volunteering’.

For the first six months, the French Presidency Programme foresees the following commitments to sport:

‘In line with the approach of the White Paper on sport and the ‘Pierre de Coubertin’ action plan, the French Presidency will pay particular attention to recognising the place of sport in the European Union by:

• seeking an agreement that lays down the special nature of training for young athletes;
• beginning work on the structuring of the profession of sports agent and supervision of club management;
• promoting the adoption of guidelines on the promotion of sports activities as ways to improve public health’.

The ‘European Sports Forum’ organized under the French Presidency will take place in Biarritz, France, on 26/27 November 2008.  It is expected that the Physical Guidelines, as mentioned in the Commission’s White Paper on Sport, will be officially launched there. A key delegation from EHFA will be attending and possibly speaking at the Forum.  More information in the next Update.

The European Sports Workforce Development Alliance (Alliance), the body formed by the key European stakeholders with an interest in the development of professional standards at the European level, met on 23 June to plan coordinated activities for the year ahead.

The group is working towards the formal establishment of a pan-European social dialogue in the field of sport and active leisure, with fitness as a core component and represented by EHFA and implemented by the European Register of Exercise Professionals.

In addition to the European Health and Fitness Association, the group is comprised of:

• EASE - European Association of Sports Employers www.easesport.org
• ENGSO – European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation www.engso.com
• ENSSEE - European Network of Sports Science, Education & Employment. www.enssee.de
• EOC - European Olympic Committees www.eurolympic.org
• EOSE - European Observatoire of Sport and Employment www.eose.org
• EURO-MEI – the global union for skills and services with 15 million members in 900 unions – www.union-network.org (observer)
• The EU Office of German Sports (also representing the German Sports Confederation (DSB), the German National Olympic Committee (NOK) and the regional sports confederations (LSB) as well as the umbrella sport organisations of the Netherlands, France, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom and the European Athletic Association) www.eu-sports-office.org (observer)

The meeting received an update on the European Union Sport Directors Meeting under the Slovenian Presidency which was organised on 4th and 5th of February 2008 in Brdo (Slovenia). This meeting was addressed by Alliance facilitator Stephen Studd who also represented the Alliance during the final conference of the Portuguese Presidency in July 2007.  All Ministers present were supportive of the Alliance who felt it was encouraging to see “European Qualification Framework (EQF)” and “Vocational Education and Training (VET)” issues as part of the agenda and the discussion. This great opportunity gave the Alliance the possibility to present its work and also to receive positive comments and a strong support from the European Commission and from Member States.

As we learned from the EHFA Platinum Partners Lunch with the Commission in February 2008, the Alliance will also be represented at the next EU Sports Ministers Conference to be held in Biarritz in November 2008.

Through the Alliance, EHFA members can be assured that the developments in fitness are married to equal developments in a number of aligned professions and volunteering activities such as sport, the active outdoors and the wider leisure sector. The Alliance provides a common platform and voice for the industry to ensure that it is recognised, supported and promoted in Brussels.