The National Center for the Development of Sport (CNDS) will finally maintain an allocation dedicated to local sports facilities for an amount of 25 million euros in 2015. This decision, approved by the institution’s board of directors on November 19, alleviates the concerns of many sports stakeholders.
On October 22, during an informational meeting, the Minister of Sports, Patrick Kanner, announced the suspension of the general allocation reserved for supporting local investment in the construction or renovation of sports facilities. This information caused some unease among local sports officials during debates at the National Assembly on the draft finance bill.
The National Association of Elected Sports Officials (Andes) made several efforts to denounce a decision that, according to them, would lead to “an inevitable degradation of facilities.”
Indeed, French sports facilities are aging: 42% are now over 35 years old.
The creation of a specific allocation for local facilities amounting to 25 million euros satisfies the Ministry of Sports – which notes “intense consultation allowing each party to propose constructive recommendations in a spirit of responsibility” – local and national officials alike.
These 25 million euros will be targeted toward areas most lacking in sports facilities. This fund will no longer be managed as an open counter but through a mechanism where the CNDS should be much more prescriptive about the type of facility and the targeted areas. The goal: to give a “real leveraging effect” to investments supported by the CNDS. The doctrine adopted and the architecture of requests (calls for projects, territorial schemes…) will be determined by a working group in the first quarter of 2015.
In addition to the specific allocation for local facilities, the CNDS equipment subsidies will allocate 10 million for so-called “structuring” facilities and 4 million for contractual policies (Corsica, Seine-Saint-Denis, former Creps of Dinard, creation of a Creps in Nantes in collaboration with the region).
Swimming pools, which have attracted particular attention since the end of 2013, do not benefit from a dedicated allocation but could be included in the priorities doctrine. However, swimming education has been designated by the CNDS board of directors as one of the priorities of the territorial share (aid to local sports associations). This share, ultimately reduced to 128 million euros (in payment credits) instead of the previously planned 132 million, must also promote health-sport, qualified sports employment (600 additional jobs and at least 500 more apprenticeship contracts financed in 2015), and the correction of inequalities in access to sports practice (ZUS, ZRR, disability, …).
Finally, two million euros are allocated to EuroBasket 2015, co-organized by France. Support for organizing major sports events is increasing from 3.5 million in 2014 to 5 million in 2015, an envelope “consistent with France’s proactive strategy” in this regard, comments the Ministry of Sports.
