The representatives on the Committee of Ministers of Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Slovenia, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, and United Kingdom,

Recognising that the aim of the Council of Europe is the achievement of greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideas and principles which are their common heritage and of facilitating their economic and social progress, in particular by pursuing common objectives designed to protect and promote European culture;

Having regard to Statutory Resolution (93) 28 of the Committee of Ministers on Partial and Enlarged Agreements;

Having regard to Resolution (96) 36 of the Committee of Ministers establishing the criteria for partial and enlarged agreements of the Council of Europe;

Having regard to the resolutions adopted by the Conferences of European Ministers Responsible for Sport since 1975, and in particular to Resolution No. I on the Future Pan-European Sports Co-operation adopted at the 17th informal meeting of European Sports Ministers (Moscow, 20-21 October 2006);

Having regard to the substantial work done since 1977 by the Committee for the Development of Sport (CDDS) in developing policies designed to promote sport in the member states of the Council of Europe;

Having regard to the European Cultural Convention of 19 December 1954 (ETS No. 018);

Having regard to the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehavior at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches (ETS No. 120), to the Anti-Doping Convention (ETS No. 135) and its Additional Protocol (ETS No. 188);

Having regard to the recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the Revised European Sports Charter (Recommendation R (92) 13 rev) and the Revised Code of Sports Ethics (Recommendation R (92) 14 rev);

Considering the conclusions of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, 16-17 May 2005), which recommended “the continuation of Council of Europe activities which serve as references in the field of sport”;

Considering that the natural values of sport such as respect, mutual understanding and fair play, are excellent tools for the promotion of the values and the goals of the Council of Europe;

Aware of the unique place that sport has in modern society underpinning democracy, participation, involvement, motivation, inclusiveness and social cohesion;

Stressing the importance and significance of sport in modern society, notably from political, social, cultural and economic perspectives;

Aware of the role of sport in promoting social integration, particularly among young people, and in safeguarding the health of the population;

Having regard to the decision of 9 May 2007 whereby the Committee of Ministers authorised the member states who so wish to pursue this objective within the Council of Europe by means of an Enlarged Partial Agreement;

HEREBY,

RESOLVE to establish the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), governed by the Statute appended thereto;

AGREE that the EPAS is established for an initial period of three years;

AGREE to review the functioning of the EPAS, with a view to continuing its operation, by the end of the initial period of three years;

EXPRESS the wish that all Council of Europe member states and other States Party to the European Cultural Convention become members of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) in the near future.

Appendix to Resolution CM/Res(2007) 8

Statute of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS)