The European Commission (EC) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will actively encourage European citizens to take up sport during a promotional week in September.

The European Week of Sport (7-13 September) aims to encourage citizens from every walk of life to #BeActive, as well as support and build on the work of existing national and local initiatives to inspire citizens to 'get moving'.

Signing the agreement in Brussels on Tuesday (2 June), EBU Head of European Affairs, Nicola Frank said that television is the ‘number one window’ through which communities discover new forms of exercise, leading to better health.

“Regardless of where you live, sport events are of enormous importance to the community,” she said. “Some sports like football are a global phenomena that unite the world. Others, such as Nordic skiing are intrinsically linked to local culture and identity, and make a major contribution to cultural diversity within the European Union.”

Ms Frank said that the EBU plays a major ‘behind the scenes’ role to ensure that a broad range of sports events are available to the largest possible audiences on television, radio and online.

“Sports programmes are a vital part of any public service media channel. By producing and distributing top quality live sport on a free-to-air basis on all relevant platforms, our Members send a message that there is a sport for everyone, regardless of individual strengths or weaknesses.”

The collaboration aims to boost the promotion of sport and physical activity, highlight the societal role of sports and the value of teamwork and participation.

As part of its pledge, the EBU will organise and promote European Week of Sports during the EBU Sports Assembly on 30 September and 2 & 3 October in Brussels.

EBU Members will be encouraged to launch their own activities and get citizens to incorporate more sports into their daily routine.