EU ministers have reached broad agreement on a declaration on the distinctive status of sport to be adopted by Union leaders at their Nice summit next month, the Commission said this week.

Date: 09/11/00

The draft declaration highlights the need for special treatment for sport, but falls short of the legally binding document being demanded by soccer's world governing body FIFA in its wrangle with the Commission over transfer fees. "In all its actions under the different parts of the treaty, the Community must take account of the social, educational and cultural functions of sport, which are based on its specificity," states the draft document.