Covid-19/European Union: "Commitment to promote sport's contribution to health and well-being"

"We, Ministers responsible for sport, reiterate our commitment to promote the role and value of sport and physical activity in terms of its contribution to the physical and mental health and well-being of citizens and in terms of prevention of chronic and infectious diseases, especially in crisis periods such as the Covid-19 pandemic and afterwards," announced the European Union in an open letter written by the Ministers on the initiative of Roxana Maracineanu (FRA), French Minister delegate for Sports, on 22/03/2021.

"We call all relevant authorities, to find, during the current crisis, the right balance between preventing the spread of the virus and resuming and maintaining physical activities and safe sport, especially for young people," said the signatory Ministers in the open letter that News Tank Football has reproduced in full below (also available to download).

"The importance of sport and physical activity both as an effective means of combating the deleterious effects of lockdowns and as a means of preventing infectious risks in a pandemic situation (Ministers for Sports…