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		Commission's white paper should cover hunting Horse and Hound - Tuesday, 8th May 2007 Dear Sir, Last night I attended a meeting of the European parliament's Sports Intergroup, where Commissioner Jàn Figuel, responsible for culture, media, education and sport, talked about the Commission's up-coming White Paper on sport. I took the opportunity to ask whether the White Paper would address only modern commercial sports like the Olympic sports and football, or whether it would also include traditional and cultural sports like hunting. The event was sponsored by Visa on behalf of the Paralympics movement, and I pointed out that campaigners for the disabled should have a real interest in equestrian sports, given the importance of Riding for the Disabled in the UK. The Commissioner's answer was interesting. He did not expect the White Paper to endorse hunting specifically, but he said that the Commission relies on the Council of Europe's definition of sport, which he read out. It says: "'Sport' means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels". Clearly field sports meet several of the criteria, not least in terms of health and fitness and social relationships. Some country sports, for example angling, can be competitive. This is encouraging as far as it goes. I will look carefully at the Commission's paper as and when it is published to see if it contains anything positive for hunting or other equestrian sports. Roger Helmer Conservative MEP for the East Midlands