The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) guidance spelled out the second part of a five-stage framework to enable athletes to get match fit before any top level competition resumes.

“Stage Two training can be described as the resumption of close-contact training where pairs, small groups and/or teams will be able to interact in much closer contact,” it said.

Examples given include close quarters coaching, combat sports sparring, team sports tackling and the sharing of technical equipment such as balls, gloves and pads.

“The progression of training into Stage Two is vital to prepare fully for the return of competitive sporting fixtures in many sports,” added the document.

“Close contact training is required to replicate match formations and conditions, so that the sport-specific demands can be placed on the body, mind and senses.”

Premier League soccer players have returned to non-contact training in small groups with their clubs while respecting social distancing guidelines. Some have already expressed concerns, however.

The league was halted in mid-March but under ‘Project Restart’ hopes to get going again in June without spectators.

Stage One for returning to unrestricted elite competition was set out on May 13, and must be completed before embarking on the next phase.

The guidance said close contact training will be allowed only when sports bodies, clubs and teams deem conditions right to do so, following consultation with athletes, coaches and support staff.

Under stage two, athletes will still have to keep their distance before and after training and time spent closer than two metres in training should be kept to “a reasonable minimum”.

“The exemption on social distancing is for the period of actual training itself but not to activities which are peripheral,” it spelled out.

“In particular there should be no opportunity for social distancing to be breached between training clusters or between different sports.”

The guidance also said there should be no resumption of Stage Two training without a documented risk assessment and risk mitigation strategy.

International multilateral organizations have a crucial role to play in promoting ICT technologies – to help the European and global economies recover from the COVID-19 crisis, Huawei’s Chief Representative to the EU Institutions Abraham Liu said during an online debate today.

“Huawei has demonstrated know-how and dedication during recent months, setting up 5G networks with telecom operators in hospitals, providing technological solutions for telemedicine and for pandemic control procedures,” said Abraham Liu during the debate ‘Economic Transition into the ‘New Normal’: how can international organisations help European economies bounce back’, organized by The Brussels Times. “5G and AI technologies are also used in vaccine development and have played a key role in reliable medical data quantitative analysis. Our technology has also been successfully applied to managing public and private sector re-opening,” Abraham Liu underlined.

“The process of innovation does not stop at any defined geographical border,” Liu added. “The Horizon Europe research, innovation and science programme 2021-2027 is a key policy instrument that can play an important role in boosting economic competitiveness in Europe, delivering the EU Green deal and tackling the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

As lockdowns lift cautiously across Europe, the focus of collective attention is shifting to what key players can do to help the economy recover. Today’s debate, moderated by Digital Storyteller Dan Sobovitz and The Brussels Times journalist Pauline Bock, asked how the good practice that has come to the fore during the pandemic can be shared in the future, to ensure safe progress to renewed economic prosperity in Europe.

High-level representatives from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Economic Forum (WEF), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) andthe Croatian Presidency of the EU Council took part in the webinar.

Learn ON programme

Another good example of Huawei’s collaboration with international organisations is in its Learn ON programme to prevent education disruption during the pandemic. Working with UNESCO and partner schools and colleges, Learn ON has delivered an online distance education system to support around 50,000 students and their teachers.

The programme is continuing for the rest of 2020 with more than 100 online Train the Trainer (TTT) courses, involving 1,500 teachers, and the opening of over 130 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) covering advanced technological fields such as AI, Big Data, 5G and IoT, funded by a €4.6 million Huawei ICT Academy Development Incentive Fund (ADIF).

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services – Huawei is committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. Huawei invests heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. Huawei has more than 180 000 employees and operates in over 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

In Europe, Huawei currently employs over 13 000 employees and runs two regional offices and 23 R&D sites. So far, Huawei has established 230 technical cooperation projects and has partnered with over 150 universities across Europe.

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Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES) will present to the committee his draft interim report on the December 2017 European Commission’s proposal to act in view of the perceived threats to the independence of the judiciary in Poland. Parliament agrees with the Commission that rule of law is at risk in the country, but the Council has so far not taken a formal step in that regard.

On Monday, MEPs will also look in particular into the issues over judicial independence, after listening to the views of the President of the European Association of Judges, José Igreja Matos, and a representative of the Polish judges association IUSTITIA, Joanna Hetnarowicz-Sikora.

Legal changes adopted by the Polish government during current health crisis, regarding electoral law, regulation of hate speech and LGBTI rights, are another source of concern for many MEPs.

When: Monday, 25 May, from 14h05 to 15h30

Where: Jozsef Antall 4Q2, European Parliament in Brussels, and via videoconference

Background

According to Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU, following a request by one third of the Member States, by the Parliament or by the Commission, the Council may determine that there is a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values in the countries concerned. Before doing so, ministers shall hear the views of the national authorities. The Polish authorities defended themselves in front of the Council on three occasions, between June and December 2018.

At a later stage, the European Council may determine, by unanimity and with the Parliament’s consent, that there is a serious and persistent breach of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights. This could eventually lead to sanctions, including suspension of voting rights in the Council.

In its resolution of 17 April, about the EU’s response against COVID-19, the European Parliament pointed to recent moves by the Polish authorities to change the electoral code, to hold Presidential elections in the middle of a pandemic. MEPs warned this may “undermine the concept of free, equal, direct and secret elections as enshrined in the Polish Constitution”.

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On Wednesday (27 May), Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will present a revised long-term EU budget (2021-2027) and recovery plan during a plenary session. MEPs will discuss the proposals, but have already called for a €2 trillion recovery package to help the EU bounce back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parliament President David Sassoli and the political group leaders will hold discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday morning.

The future of the EU is also on the agenda of the constitutional affairs committee today (26 May). MEPs will discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe and the Parliaments role. In a resolution adopted on 17 April, Parliament called for it to be convened as soon as possible.

On Thursday (28 May) the transport committee will discuss the Commission’s proposed package on tourism and transport, which includes practical guidelines on how countries could gradually lift travel restrictions, businesses reopen and people take summer holidays.

The employment and social affairs committee will on Tuesday consider how COVID-19 restrictions have affected the mobility of workers, particularly contract and cross-border workers.

Also on Tuesday, Commission Vice President Josep Borrell will discuss the impact of the pandemic on EU security and defence, including disinformation, with the security and defence committee.