Modernisation of the State
Youth and sports
The sports training system in France
Organisation of sport in France
Organisation of sport in France
Physical and sporting activity is a major economic, cultural and social factor in France.
26 million French people practice a sport regularly;
15.7 million sports permits were issued by the 110 sports federations registered with the ministry in charge of sports (2005).
Sport has become a large part of daily life in French society. It is a major factor in educative and social dimensions, associations (almost 180 000 sports clubs or chapters), coordination, development and local employment, and contributes to the success of our country at the highest levels of international competition.
In accordance with the provisions in the Code of Sport, physical and sports activities are an important element of education, culture and integration into social life. Notably, it contributes to reducing academic failure and social and cultural inequalities as well as promoting health. The promotion and development of physical and sporting activities for all and especially for the disabled are considered of public interest.
In consequence, the organisation, the management and funding of sport in France relies on a complementarity of skills and interventions, in every field and by every stakeholder in the word of sport: the State (centralised and decentralised), local authorities, sports federations (leagues and clubs), commercial organisations etc.
The Code of Sport constitutes the framework for the organisation of sport.
The national and territorial organisation of the State for the development and promotion of sport is as follows:
the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Charitable Associations: 7 290 agents, 1, 016 billion euros;
decentralised services: 22 regional and departmental administrative bodies for youth and sport, 83 departmental administrative bodies for youth and sport (9 in overseas France);
24 regional centres of physical and sports education and 5 schools and national institutes.
The sports federations are responsible for organising and promoting the practice of their respective disciplines. The Code of Sport distinguishes federations that benefit from State accreditation and those which on top of the accreditation have been given further powers.
The accredited federations have a mission of public interest. In this vain, they are responsible for promoting education through physical and sporting activities, ensuring the training and progression of their senior volunteers and issuing permits and federal titles. They are under the responsibility of the State.
According to the Code of Sport, one federation per discipline is directly invested with the mission of public service. It is given powers from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Charitable Associations to organise sports competitions where international, national, regional, and departmental titles are issued, define technical and administrative rules, fix rules for the organisation of competitions (with the exception of anything that falls under the domain of public interest) and respects laws and rules specific to certain areas (violence, doping, discipline, medical issues etc.) These federations are also under the control of the State.
Following the State of Sport held in 2002 and with a desire for increased accessibility, transparency and stability in the fundamental relationship between the State and the sporting movement, the law of 1 August 2003 sought to satisfy the expectations of the sporting movement and to consolidate the progress already made in building a partnership with the State. The law gave sporting federations greater liberty in their organisation while confirming the place of associations and federal structures. Notably, the law allows (within a strict framework) for a greater participation in federal matters with economic partners who contribute to the development of sport. It gives legal status to each federation for different practices, amateur and professional sport and the necessary financial stability between the two. It offers options for financial relationships between the federations and their professional club.
The National Centre for the Development of Sport was created by decree on 2 March 2006. Its mission is to contribute to the development and practice of sport in all its forms by awarding financial aid in the form of operating and equipment subsidies. Its provisional budget for 2007 is 236 million euros.
It is under the control of the Ministry in charge of sport which also decides its main areas of intervention. It manages both public and private initiatives. The administrative council has 21 members and 11 of these represent the State, the rest represent the sporting movement and local authorities.
Furthermore, the Minister sets out the conditions for the allocation of the budget for the “National Programme for the Development of Sport” created the day after Paris failed to win the 2012 Olympic bid.
The three ambitions of this programme are to:
have a many people as possible practicing a sport,
prepare top athletes for big international competitions,
strengthen the international sporting influence of France. The provisional budget for 2007 is 43 million euros.
State funding can be broken down as follows:
significant financial aid for sporting federations: 85.5 million euros for 2007. A further 18.9 million euros will be added under the “National Programme for the Development of Sport”,
the technical assistance of 1 680 agents from the Ministry responsible for sport (1/4 of all Ministry staff) who will act as technical and sports advisors to the sports federations. They are largely responsible for the quality of the results gained at the international level and for the vitality of the movement of sports associations.
To achieve the ambitious goals set by the Ministry in charge of sport for the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 (40 medals) and London (50 medals), top athletes can also ask for support from the Olympics and Paralympics Preparation Organisation created in 2006.
This small operational structure (7 high level sports specialists) under the direct responsibility of the ministry responsible for sport is responsible for preparing athletes for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other notable international competitions. Its work focuses on performance research and it aims to develop strategic intelligence in the field of sport. This is done through observation and studying the organisation and current developments in top level sport at the international level as well as by methodically and systematically analysing results obtained at big international competitions.