EUSA Magazine 2019-20

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS ASSOCIATION YEAR MAGAZINE 2019-20^86

6. EU INITIATIVES

EU WEEK OF SPORT

The European Week of Sport (EWOS) and the #BeActive campaign,

initiated by the European Commission, aims to promote sport and physical

activity across Europe. Together with national coordinators and partner

organisations, among them EUSA as an official partner, we’re not only trying

to make Europe healthier, but also helping to strengthen the continent

in more ways than one, based on our shared values and interests.

Since its launch in 2015, the
EWOS has brought together
hundreds of organisations
and offers demonstrations in
several sports, also providing
information about the benefits
of sports activities and healthy
nutrition.

Taking place annually between
September 23 and 30 throughout
Europe, the 2019 edition officially
kicked off in Espoo, Finland
which held the presidency of the
Council of the European Union,

with proceedings taking place

in the presence of the European

Commissioner for Education,

Culture, Youth and Sport Mr

Tibor Navracsics.

The fifth edition of EWOS began

with a conference entitled

“Safeguarding Children in Sport”,

with a number of high-profile

sporting authorities present to

discuss this topic, while almost

10 000 school children had the

opportunity to #BeActive and

try different sports and physical

activities in a local sports park.

As part of the celebrations,

dance shows, aerobics classes

and football matches were

organised, with the highlight

of the week reserved for the

#BeActive Night on Saturday,

September 28, where a series of

mass sports events took place

across various cities in Europe,

joining the #5minchallenge

which encouraged all

participants on the continent

to take part in some sort of

physical activity for at least five

minutes at 7pm CET.

In total, 29 000 events took

place in 42 countries across

Europe involving a cumulative

15.5 million people, three million

more than the previous year.

In another closely-related event,

the University of Malaga played

host to a successful conference

focusing on University Sport

as part of their European