FACTBOX-Timeline of EU white paper on sport

(Reuters) - The European Commission published a strategy document on Wednesday, called a White Paper, on how sport should be run across the 27-nation European Union.

The issues covered range from soccer agents, security, club ownership and labour laws to financing of sport and drugs abuse.

Following is a chronology of the process:

December 8, 2005 - A review into sport is launched under British Presidency of the EU at a meeting in Leipzig. The meeting is attended by FIFA, UEFA, the European Commission and chaired by British sports minister Richard Caborn.

January 31, 2006 - Caborn meets EU sports Commissioner Jan Figel and then UEFA CEO Lars-Christer Olsson to outline the priorities of the review. They decide that the head of the review should be independent and come from outside sport.

February 7 - Former Portuguese deputy prime minister Jose Luis Arnaut appointed to oversee the review. He was deputy prime minister and minister for sport under current EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso -- the then Portuguese prime minister.

February 22 - Fans and stakeholders are asked to post their views on the review's Web site.

February 28 - Arnaut invites G14, representing 18 of the world's richest clubs, to participate in the review, despite it being involved in two court cases with FIFA, soccer's world governing body, over player compensation.

March 29 - Stakeholders and fans attend public hearing in Brussels.