EUROPEAN COMMISSION
SECRETARIAT-GENERAL
Directorate C
Secretariat of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies
Brussels, November 1999
DOPING IN SPORT
Participation & competition
Participants
About 125 million people in the EU do sport, more than a quarter of all EU citizens. It
is estimated that 2% of all private spending relates to sport.
Questionnaires show that on average men do 10 minutes of sport per day (15 on
weekends) and women 5 (6 on weekends).
Source: “The EU & Sport”, European Commission Information leaflet
Figures on sports participation vary from country to country. In Finland, 19% of the
adult population (16+) does not participate in any sports, with only 3% taking part in
no physical activities at all. In Italy, 77% do no sport, and 40% no physical activity.
The figures for Spain are 43% and 26% respectively.
In most countries, however, the majority of people do some sport, even if only
occasionally: Ireland 64%, the Netherlands 63%, Sweden 69%, and UK 67%.
The numbers involved in competitive, organised and intensive, or simply intensive,
sport ranges from 5% in Italy, 9% in Spain, 16% in the Netherlands, 18% in the UK
and Ireland, 36% in Sweden, to 39% in Finland.
The figures for children (under-16s) also demonstrate high levels of participation in
sport, although in Italy, for example, 46% of under-16s do not take part in any
sporting activity. In the Netherlands the figure is 11%, and the UK it is as low as 2%,
meaning that almost all children do some form of physical activity.
Many children are involved in competitive, organised, and intensive, or simply
intensive, sport. In the 6-11 age group, the figures are as follows: Italy 11%, the
Netherlands 19%, UK 22%, Finland 33%, and Sweden 54%; and in the 12-16 age
group: Italy 17%, UK 33%, the Netherlands 34%, Finland 40%, and Sweden 74%.
Source: COMPASS 1999 report, “Sports Participation in Europe”
Competitions
In 1999 there were 77 world championships and 102 European championships
organised in Europe – of great significance for the economies of the host towns and
regions.
Source: Report by the Secretary General of the European Olympic Committee,
April 1999
Economics (External Network of Actors)
Sports funding
Sport receives an estimated FF 100 billion in funding in France. This can be divided
as follows:
Public bodies: communes with more than 3000 inhabitants - FF 30.6 billion; regional
councils - FF 3.05 billion; the State - FF 10.61 billion
Private consumers: FF 43 billion spent on sports services, clothing and equipment
(0.97% of total consumer spending)
Private sector: television rights - in the region of FF 1550 billion in 1996 (Olympic
year); businesses - FF 8.5-9.5 billion, including sponsors - FF 2.5-3 billion.
Source: French government web-site, “Guide de prévention sportive et de lutte contre
le dopage”
Olympic Marketing will generate in excess of US$ 3.5 billion for the IOC in the
period 1997-2000. This can be divided as follows: television 50%; sponsorship 36%;
tickets/hospitality 11%; licensing 2%; other programs (coins & philatelic) 1%.
Source: IOC official web-site
Economy
In Germany, sport accounts for 1.4% of GNP.
Source: “The EU & Sport”, European Commission Information leaflet
In the UK, sport accounted for 1.6% of GNP in 1995, with consumer expenditure on
sport amounting to £6983 million in 1995.
Source: Chris Gratton – “The Economic Importance of Sport”
It is estimated that the sports industry accounts for 3% of world trade and that Europe
accounts for 36% of this activity (US 42%).
Source: Report on GAISF meetings supplied by DGX
Employment
It is estimated that 1.5 – 2 million people work in sport in Europe.
Source: EU Report on Sports and Employment, September 1999
Sports clothing and equipment accounted for 60 000 jobs in the EU in 1994.
Source: Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry information
In Britain, sport accounted for 1.61% of total employment in 1995.
Source: Chris Gratton – “The Economic Importance of Sport”
Media (Television)
TV rights provide 50% of the IOC’s total marketing revenue. At the Atlanta Olympics
of 1996 global TV rights fees were worth US$ 895 million, rising to a provisional
US$ 1482 million from the Athens Games in 2004.
Source: IOC official web-site
TV rights generate US$ 42 billion for the sports industry.
Source: Report on GAISF meetings supplied by DGX
In 1998 there was a 35% increase in thenumber of hours devoted to sport on
television compared to 1997 (largely due to the Winter Olylpics and the football
World Cup). Football is the most televised sport, accounting for 31.28% of hours of
televised sport.
Source: DGX discussion paper for the Working Group on “Relations between Sport
and Television” (26 April 1999).
Sponsorship
Sports sponsorship generates US$ 15 billion pa.
Source: Report on GAISF meetings supplied by DGX
Profit
Ticket sales generate US$ 50 billion pa for the sports industry.
Source: Report on GAISF meetings supplied by DGX
Doping
Source: Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention database on anti-doping
initiatives
NB: figures refer not just to EU countries but to the 24 following which have ratified
the Convention: Aus, Aut, Cyp, Cze, Den, Fin, Ger, Gre, Hun, Ice, Ita, Lat, Lit, Lux,
Net, NZ, Nor, Pol, Por, Slk, Slv, Spa, Swi, UK.
Controls (testing)
In 1997, International Sports Federations carried out 5401 doping tests in competition
and 659 out of competition. Under national testing programs 28 409 tests were
performed in competition and 22 604 out of competition – a total of 56 952 doping
tests carried out in 1997.
Positive detections
In 1997, in-competition testing produced 177 positive tests on the national level and
68 on the international level. Out-of-competition testing produced corresponding
figures of 2 and 318 respectively. The total of positive tests was 318. Cycling (42)
generated the largest number of positive tests, followed by athletics (31) and
powerlifting/weightlifting. Every sport had at least one positive test.
Types of drugs
Drugs tested for: over 90% of countries carry out tests in competition for stimulants,
narcotics, anabolic agents and diuretics. Anabolic agents are the only substances for
which over 90% of countries carry out tests out of competition. These substances,
along with peptide hormones, make up the doping classes. The methods of blood
doping and pharmaceutical or chemical manipulation are also tested for. Other classes
of drugs that are tested for and are subject to certain regulations include alcohol,
marijuana, local anaesthetics, cortico-steroids, and beta-blockers. For all of these
substances/methods more countries test for the substance in, rather than out of,
competition. Only four countries test for blood doping in competition, and three out.
Positive tests: stimulants are the most commonly detected substances, making up
44.47% of all doping offences. These are followed by anabolic steroids (36.93%) and
diuretics (6.28%). The other substances/methods constitute very small percentages of
detected doping offences.
Sanctions
In 22 of the countries either the National or International Sports Federation, or both,
are responsible for imposing sanctions. Two countries (Norway and Portugal) have
national anti-doping organisations responsible for sanctions (in Norway the
organisation is the sole responsible authority for these). Six countries (Aus, Den, Ice,
Lit, Net, Spa) have other, or additional, bodies responsible for sanctions. In Denmark
this body (the Doping Court for all Danish Sports Federations) is the sole responsible
authority.
Costs & Finance
Funding of sample analysis by laboratories: in 15 of the countries the State funds
sample analysis. In eight, sports organisations, national anti-doping organisations or
confederations provide funding, and in four (Gre, Ita, Lat, UK), so does the National
Sports Federation (in Italy only this body does). For some of the countries additional
funding includes money from private hands, other countries, international federations
or local government.
Costs of anti-doping programs and organisations: the costs of running anti-doping
programs are considerable. In total £11 262 584 was spent on such programs in 1997.
This can be divided as follows: £4 429 051 (39.3% of total spend) on laboratory costs
or costs of sample analysis; £2 837 951 (25.2%) for the administrative or anti-doping
organisations; £2 634 672 (23.4%) on sample collection; £906 782 (8.1%) on
education and information; £351 225 (3.1%) on research; and £102 902 (0.9%) on
legal advice or action.
