IMPALA.net – International Network to Implement EU Physical Activity Guidelines on Infrastructure Development

IMPALA.net’s primary objective is to rapidly respond to activity and monitoring recommendations outlined in the recently published European Union “Council Recommendation on promoting health-enhancing physical activity across sectors [hereafter referred to as the HEPA Council Recommendation].” This objective will be achieved through establishment of six cross-sectoral, national-level alliances in select EU Member States. The alliances will enact the IMPALA guidelines.

This enactment will also serve the implementation of the EU Physical Activity Guidelines, which specifically call for development of cross-sectoral policies and practices at EU, national and local levels for the purpose of making physical activity a part of EU citizens’ daily lives. The six national alliances (and ISCA) will cooperate at the international level to carry out an evidence-based and research-driven policy development, training and implementation scheme.
A second, relational objective of IMPALA.net is to develop sport organizations’ capacities to take a leading role as promoters of HEPA through the sport sector by creating and implementing national-level action plans and policies for health-enhancing physical activity oriented infrastructure development that will result in increased access to health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) and sport in the European Union.

In this project, in each country, one research partner and one sport organisation cooperate to set up and maintain a National Alliance to develop a National Action Plan for the implementation of the IMPALA Guidelines.

Each participating country needs to implement a solid National Action Plan in the following years which has to cover several aspects such as:
- political/legal environment -> e.g. to form an interinstitutional crosssectoral working group for the coordination of implementation of actions on health enhancing physical activity (HEPA)
- communication -> to raise awareness and inform responsible decision makers, who have not, or only insufficiently, been reached so far.- e.g. Association of Cities and Towns, social security funds, Federal Ministry of Health, federal states and municipalities.
- financing -> generate political commitment at the national level for the development of direct EU funding options for infrastructures for PA and sports.
- strategic planning -> Provide information on the conception of up to date infrastructures in the respective countries via a collection of "models of inspiring practice" in brochures and a website. Additionally, improve the conveying of the content and requirements of the IMPALA guidelines while taking the national conditions and structures into account.