The European Commission is to produce official recommendations on physical activity levels as part of its strategy to tackle the high rates of inactivity in Europe.

It will be the first ever recommendation the council has produced in the field of sport and will build on the EU Physical Activity Guidelines.

The Council will start discussing the recommendation later this month (September) and could publish and adopt the new guidelines as early as the end of the year.

The proposals included in the discussions include a monitoring framework which would help member states to trace developments and identify trends regarding their national efforts to promote sport and physical activity.

Androulla Vassiliou, the European commissioner responsible for sport said: "Much more can be done through our policies to encourage people to get out of their chairs. This initiative is an important milestone in the Commission's efforts to promote health-enhancing physical activity in the EU.

"One key element of our proposal is to help member states to trace developments and identify trends regarding their national efforts to promote sport and physical activity. By acting together with the member states we will reduce the significant costs arising from by the lack of physical activity in Europe."

To read the full proposals being discussed by the commission, click here.

To read the EU's current physical activity guidelines, click here.