The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Rule 133 of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas, according to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) in June 2015, the EU Member States spend an average of EUR 80.4 billion a year on treating illnesses caused by lack of physical exercise and whereas that expenditure is bound to increase further if Europeans do not exercise more;

B.  whereas, according to a Eurobarometer survey, 42% of Europeans never do sport or physical exercise;

C.  whereas 500 000 deaths per year in Europe are reported to be the result of diseases (such as type 2 diabetes and heart conditions) associated with a lack of physical activity;

D.  whereas the research suggests that the Member States could save EUR 80.4 billion a year if everyone in Europe spent, on average, 20 minutes a day exercising;

1.  Asks the Commission to encourage the Member States to support physical activity in schools;

2.  Encourages the Commission to support all initiatives to promote regular physical exercise, and to launch a campaign to promote sport and the benefits and values associated with it;