8. Asks the Commission to guarantee free movement not only of professional athletes but also of coaches and support staff in line with the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Communities and Community legislation, whilst acknowledging the desire to strike a balance between the principle of free movement and the need of national sports teams for more home-grown players; in this context, asks the Commission to invest not only in the sporting but also in the vocational qualifications of athletes, and to enable further mutual recognition within the European Union of qualifications which have been acquired within the framework o ...[+++]f sports activities on the basis of the common reference levels provided by the European Qualifications Framework by introducing the European certification of sports agents, thus making it possible to subject them to supervision, which will contribute to their long-term absorption in the labour market as well as to social cohesion in Europe; stresses the need to provide training accessible to all sportspeople to ensure their reintegration in the labour market after the end of their sporting careers;

In relation to his second point, I think this is factually accurate in the sense that Bertie Vogts has already left the coaching role for the Scottish football team, but then I thought it might be not very communautaire of me to point that out, given that we have reappointed a Scotsman to that role, apparently to no great effect so far!

The Council will also discuss matters concerning measures to combat violence on the terraces, the exchange of young sportsmen and women and their trainers along with an extension of the existing Community programmes (YES) and measures to combat the use of stimulants in the context of a broader campaign against drugs.