18.2.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 431 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) DECISION No 291/2003/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 6 February 2003 establishing the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 149 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (°), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1)  Promoting good quality education is one of the objec- tives of the European Community. (2)  The educational values of sport were acknowledged by the Nice European Council of 7, 8 and 9 December 2000, thus confirming previous declarations, particularly Declaration 29 attached to the Amsterdam Treaty in which sport is defined as something which forges the identity of people. (3)  The Nice European Council called upon the Community institutions to take due account of the educational values of sport in its action under various provisions of the Treaty, stressing in particular that it is important for Member States, with the support of the Community, to encourage voluntary activity. (4)  The Resolution of the Council and of the Ministers for Youth meeting within the Council of 17 December 1999 on the non-formal education dimension of sporting activities in the European Community youth programmes (°) considers that sporting activities can have a pedagogical value which contributes to strength- ening civil society and calls upon the Commission to @ 0] C 25 E, 29.1.2002, p. 531. () O] C 149, 21.6.2002, p. 17. () O] C 278, 14.11.2002, p. 21. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 14 May 2002 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 14 October 2002 (O] C 275 E, 12.11.2002, p. 70) and Decision of the European Parliament of 19 December 2002. () 0] C 8, 12.1.2000, p. 5. (10) (11) (12) (13) ® OojC1 0] C devise, in cooperation with the Member States, a coherent approach in order to exploit the educational potential of sport. In its Resolution on the Commission report on safe- guarding current sports structures and maintaining the social function of sport (%), the European Parliament underlined the educational and social value of sport, as well as its role in combating racism and xenophobia. In its Resolution of 13 June 1997 on the role of the European Union in the field of sport (), the European Parliament called for the organisation of a European Year of Sport. The Committee of the Regions noted in its opinion on the Commission's consultation paper ‘The European model of sport’ how important sport is in shaping the individual. In its report on sport made to the European Council in Helsinki, the Commission examined the merits of using sport in education and youth-related matters given the values conveyed by sport. Regular exercise improves psychological and physical health and can make a positive contribution to the learning process. The education of young sportsmen and sportswomen should not suffer as a result of their participation in competitive sport. Education through sport should promote personal iden- tity and development for girls and boys. Educational and training institutions at all levels should make fuller use of the opportunities offered by sport for transnational mobility and cultural exchanges. The Olympic and other sporting events in 2004 will heighten media coverage and public awareness of sport. This is an ideal opportunity to underline the educational value of sport. 35, 7.5.2001, p. 274. 200, 30.6.1997, p. 252.