The European Parliament adopted a resolution welcoming the 2005 United Nations International Year of Sport and Physical Education, as sport and physical education are excellent means to promote education, health, development and peace, especially for vulnerable groups in society, such as children and the disabled. It underlined the significant educational and social functions of sport and its importance not only in terms of physical development but also in terms of its capacity to promote social values, such as team spirit, fair competition, cooperation, tolerance and solidarity. It emphasised that, in order for sport to be effective for development, the availability of sport itself needs to be developed. Sports projects can be a cross-cutting means of building capacity in education, health in general, HIV/Aids prevention and peace-building and to combat social exclusion, violence, inequalities, racism and xenophobia.

Parliament called on the Commission to:

-consider supporting sports-based development programmes and projects, through an earmarked budget;

-promote a study of the results of projects that have been carried out by development organisations and sports organisations on development and sport, the potential of policy in this field and the possible role of the EU, the Member States and/or NGOs in development and sport;

-create programmes to increase knowledge and experience among teachers of physical education in the field of development through sport;

Parliament recognized the full right of women to participate freely in sports, and encouraged a greater participation of women in sport and development. It defines gender equality as an objective in sport for development initiatives and stressed that the World Conferences on Women and Sport led to major progress in the field of women's sports around the world.

International and national sports bodies and sports-related organisations were encouraged to draw up partnership initiatives and development projects compatible with the education provided at all levels of schooling to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Finally, Parliament called for special attention to be paid to access for disabled persons to sports activities, as well as to all aspects of life, given its importance to the rehabilitation and social inclusion of disabled persons, for example through mobilising health care workers at local level and empowering local communities by increasing expertise and support tools.