Lisbon Treaty may give footballers a headache
While Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo may never have read the EU's new Lisbon Treaty, the 300-page rulebook has the potential to give some footballers a headache.
As EU ministers for sport gather for an informal meeting in Madrid this week (20-21 April), organisations representing footballers and other athletes have raised concerns that the bumper legal text could result in the rights of some sporting professionals being undermined.
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The concerns relate to a process of social dialogue, set up between players, clubs and the European administration body UEFA in 2008, and the enhanced role handed to the EU in the field of sport under the Lisbon Treaty.
As part of the greater EU role, sports ministers will now meet for formal council meetings from next month onwards. "We are now up with the big guys in the premier league," Spanish secretary of state for sport Jaime Lissavetzky told journalists on Tuesday (20 April).
But the greater co-ordination at EU level could allow organisations such as UEFA to bi-pass established negotiating procedures - such as on contracts - with players, say organisations such as FIFPro, the association of professional footballers.
"UEFA is trying to have a direct line to EU ministers now," the head of organisation's legal division, Wil Van Megan, told EUobserver.
"The other partners in the social dialogue have become less interested in talking to us since the Lisbon Treaty was signed," he added. "UEFA is more on the side of the clubs than the players, maybe because its more profitable."
In particular, the players' organisation says UEFA would like to scrap the precedent set by the landmark 1995 Bosman ruling which gave players the right to become free agents once their contracts expire. UEFA officials contacted by this website strongly denied this was the case however.
Commission and club debt
The European Commission also gains a greater say in the area of sport under the new EU rulebook, which came into force on 1 December 2009, with the commissioner responsible, Androulla Vassiliou, saying on Tuesday that she felt the institution's role should be to "add value to member-state actions."
She intends to publish a communication outlining a new EU framework for co-operation in sport later this year.
Together with anti-doping measures, the fight against racism and the promotion of grassroots sporting movements, the Cypriot politician said one area where the commission could have influence was in trying to reduce the currently high levels of debt witnessed in some European football clubs, especially in the UK and Spain.
"We cannot impose it on them but we can encourage clubs to spend more reasonably," she said.
One reason that clubs are feeling the financial strain are the every greater transfer fees doing the rounds. Last year, at the height of the financial crisis, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive player in history after he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80 million.