LSU will support the implementation of European IMPALA guidelines in Lithuania
Lithuanian Sports University together with 17 institutions from Lithuania, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany implement the project “IMPALA.net – International Network to Implement EU Physical Activity Guidelines on Infrastructure Development” (2015–2016) funded under the EU Erasmus+ Sport Programme. The IMPALA.net project aims to bring together public and voluntary organizations, research institutions and organisations from private sector to inter-sectoral national alliances to assist in developing or updating national action plans for HEPA infrastructure development in line with the European Guidelines for improving infrastructures for Leisure-Time Physical Activity (also known as IMPALA Guidelines).
Project objectives are closely related to the European Council Recommendation on the promoting health-enhancing physical activity across sectors. The Recommendation adopted in 2013 emphasises that each member state should have a national cross-sectoral mechanism for the coordination of actions to promote health-enhancing physical activity, while the IMPALA Guidelines should be applied systematically to plan, build and manage infrastructures for leisure-time physical activity. The IMPALA Guidelines focus on social equity and accessibility of active leisure infrastructures to people from different social backgrounds. The equal importance in the IMPALA Guidelines is given to the development of strategic inter-sectoral approach and participation of different stakeholders in planning and developing the environment favourable for leisure-time physical activity.
The first meeting of the National Alliance took place in Lithuanian Parliament on October 14, 2016. The meeting agenda included introduction to the aims and objectives of the IMPALA.net project and its relation with the EU and WHO documents regarding health-enhancing physical activity, including the WHO Physical Activity Strategy for the European Region adopted in Vilnius on September 16, 2015. The participants also discussed how the IMPALA.net project could support the process in bringing the current national policy on HEPA infrastructure development closer to the models and good practice criteria proposed in the IMPALA Guidelines.
On a national level, the project is jointly implemented by LSU and Lithuanian Physical Activity and Health Association together with the Association of Lithuanian Local Authorities and Lithuanian Sports for All Association are associated members. The project coordinator is the University of Erlagen-Niurnberg, Germany.
