ROME (ITALPRESS) – The combined Justice and Finance committees of the Chamber of Deputies, in their session of Monday, Oct. 28, during the work on the conversion into law of the “save infringements decree,” found convergence in the need to exclude from the scope of the Bolkestein Directive the Amateur Sports Associations registered in the National Register of Amateur Sports Activities (RASD). The entire world of sailing, canoeing, rowing, sport fishing, motor boating and water skiing welcome with satisfaction the work done and the result achieved that is fundamental for the survival of the entire associative world, composed of thousands of ASDs distributed throughout the territory that represent the social fabric and a large part of the welfare of our country. Through the approval of this legislative act, in fact, the principle has passed that the European directive does not apply to concessions on physical infrastructure – in particular, banks of rivers, lakes and seas – intended for grassroots sports, of which amateur sports associations and clubs are pillars, as well as Federations, Sports Disciplines and Sports Promotion Bodies, including Paralympic ones. Francesco Ettorre President of the Italian Sailing Federation, Luciano Buonfiglio President of the Italian Canoe Kayak Federation, Giuseppe Abbagnale President of the Italian Rowing Federation, Claudio Matteoli President of the Italian Sport Fishing Federation, Vincenzo Iaconianni President of the Italian Powerboating Federation and Claudio Ponzani President of the Italian Water Skiing and Wakeboard Federation – in a joint note – expressed deep appreciation for the action of Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi and his entire staff who worked in the right direction and above all with an open and constructive confrontation with the National Sports Federations. Thanks to all political forces and in particular to our colleague Paolo Barelli President of the Italian Swimming Federation who actively supported the achievement of this important result. “We thank the Minister for having understood and made his own the requests and concerns of the Federations, CONI and CIP about the enormous difficulties that the application of this rule would have entailed for the entire sports world. A just recognition of the great work done by the Minister and his staff in recent months to find a point of convergence with the EU Commission. A fundamental result that secures the activity and the future of thousands of sports clubs throughout our territory, which represent the pillar on which Italian sport is based.”- photo agency Fotogramma -(ITALPRESS).
