Brussels, 23 March 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has affected the EU and its Member States in a sudden and dramatic manner, with an unprecedented impact on the health of European citizens. FESI, the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry, would like to commend the recent measures taken by the European institutions and national authorities to curb the spread of the virus and to protect the population. In a collective effort to safeguard health and well-being in Europe, FESI calls on all Europeans to maintain a minimum level of physical activity while fully observing the rules issued by their different national Governments across Europe.
Besides those directly affected by the virus, COVID-19 also has an impact on the physical and mental health of people who have not yet developed the disease but are required to limit their daily activities and movements. Stopping the spread of COVID-19 may take unprecedented changes to daily routines but staying healthy through it all is still a priority. As social contacts and usual activities must be reduced to avoid contamination, it is a good opportunity for people to develop physical activity indoors and achieve the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. With today’s advanced technologies, it is now also very easy for most of us to access workout exercises and training courses online.
Some Member States, such as France and Belgium, have also authorized* and even recommended** their populations to take part in physical activity outdoors, subject to certain conditions. Here again, we invite citizens who can do so to take advantage of this opportunity, while strictly respecting the guidelines set out by their governments.
* https://www.gouvernement.fr/info-coronavirus **https://www.belgium.be/fr/actualites/2020/coronavirus_mesures_renforcees
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About FESI: Founded in 1960 FESI – the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry represents the interests of approximately 1.800 sporting goods manufacturers (85% of the European market) through its National Sporting Goods Industry Federations and its directly affiliated member companies. 70-75% of FESI’s membership is made up of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. In total, the European Sporting Goods Industry employs over 700.000 EU citizens and has an annual turnover of some 81 billion euro.
Contact: Ariane Gatti, FESI Communication Officer / [email protected] /+32 274 08 94
