There is an ongoing political debate on the understanding of actual physical activity levels in the European population. This debate requires the availability of improved comparable information on physical activity in all member states. To facilitate making such information available a new PHEA/DG SANCO project was launched on the 1st of June 2007, namely ALPHA: Assessing Levels of PHysical Activity and fitness at population level.

ALPHA’s objective was to develop and test a comprehensive set of assessment methodology for physical activity levels at the population level. Moreover, the project focuses on a number of key factors that relate to the achievement and enablement of physical activity levels, such as the urban environment, transport related physical activity, work related physical activity and health related fitness.

Towards the end of the project, on 6th November 2009, a set of well-founded recommendations will be presented regarding the assessment of physical activity at population levels. This will provide the basis for improvement of physical activity-related policy in the European population.