Hardship regulation from the Ministry of the Interior: sports clubs not on the list

EContrary to the announcement by the Ministry of the Interior, the federal government has not included sport in the hardship regulation of the Economic Stabilization Fund. MP Fritz Güntzler, chairman of the Union faction in the Sports Committee, accuses Parliamentary State Secretary Mahmut Özdemir of this: “The federal government is once again letting sports clubs and associations down at the decisive moment. The enormously increased energy costs threaten to plunge the sporting landscape into a new crisis.” The Interior Ministry’s answer to its corresponding question shows once again that the Federal Government has not recognized the importance of sport for our society.

On November 9, when the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) called for a turning point in sport, Özdemir promised in the sports committee of the Bundestag that he would support the inclusion of sport. Özdemir assured Güntzler in writing last week that he had done this, however: “The decision as to which groups the federal government would provide funds for hardship regulations for was ultimately made in the political process after weighing up the needs and priorities of numerous socially important areas. It had to be taken into account that the federal government cannot bear the increased energy costs as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine either permanently or completely. It also had to be taken into account that securing and maintaining the functionality of the sports landscape in Germany are tasks for society as a whole that can only be mastered by the federal, state and local authorities and all those involved in sports together and with shared contributions. The federal states are free to create further relief options.”

threat of energy costs

According to the DOSB, the commitment of many countries has resulted in a patchwork of funding and non-funding, so that not all needs are adequately covered. In Lower Saxony alone, 700 applications for support had been received by February. “The price brakes for gas and electricity relieve the clubs, and in almost all federal states there is – albeit different – additional help for cases of hardship,” says Michaela Röhrbein, board member for sports development of the DOSB: “The clubs seem to get through the crisis on a broad basis come. We must continue to monitor developments carefully, because additional costs can be painful for particularly energy-intensive sports facilities and in federal states without appropriate hardship regulations. It is unfortunate that there is no uniform federal regulation.”

In November, Rehbein warned that the existence of around 5,000 of the almost 90,000 sports clubs in Germany was threatened by the exploding energy costs. This directly affects clubs with their own facilities, although the prices have since fallen. Clubs using halls and courts owned by municipalities expect to be affected by the rising prices with a delay. The situation is exacerbated by an enormous renovation backlog, including the insulation of sports facilities and the heating systems, which are mainly operated with oil and gas.

Due to price brakes by the federal government and hardship funds by the federal states, according to the assessment in sports, insolvencies of sports clubs can only be expected in individual cases in the coming weeks. But it is too early to give the all-clear. Gas and electricity prices are still significantly higher than before Russia’s war against Ukraine; Clubs expect gas costs to be twice as high and, with the same consumption, 70 percent more electricity costs. Should these costs lead to an increase in club fees or a restriction of the offer, there is a risk of the next loss of members in the year one after the pandemic.