EU Parliament Adopts Resolution on European Sport Model

Last month, the European Parliament adopted, by an overwhelming majority, a resolution on the role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model. Every five years, the Parliament publishes a dedicated report outlining its vision for sport. Recognising sport as a European public good and a valuable asset that enhances health, well-being, community spirit, and the promotion of EU values, the resolution emphasised the need to maintain a healthy balance between national team and club competitions. 

It also highlighted key challenges, including the worrying decline in volunteer participation, inadequate social protection for athletes, governance issues such as corruption and online piracy, and the growing influence of foreign investment, multi-ownership, and excessive commercialisation — all of which threaten the integrity and competitive balance of professional sport.

The European Sport Model reaffirms that sport and physical activity serve societal objectives and contribute to EU priorities such as equality, inclusion, sustainability, health, and well-being. It underscores the need to safeguard and further develop the model from grassroots to professional levels, ensuring accessibility, gender equality, and protection from discrimination and violence. Emphasis is placed on recognising sport as a public good that delivers benefits such as social cohesion and education, while also promoting physical activity for all ages and enhancing volunteering, especially at the grassroots level, where community engagement remains central.

The model also emphasises solidarity, good governance, and the protection of athletes’ rights. It calls for stronger financial solidarity between professional and grassroots sport, better governance standards, and effective financial oversight. The text urges increased funding through programmes such as Erasmus+, stronger measures against doping, match-fixing, and online piracy, as well as sustainable event organisation.

It underlines the importance of athletes’ welfare, equality in leadership, fair representation in decision-making, and adherence to EU law in sports governance. Finally, it advocates a long-term EU strategy to protect and strengthen the European Sport Model against threats such as breakaway competitions, while upholding its integrity, inclusiveness, and competitiveness.

World football’s governing body, FIFA, reiterated its support for the European Sport Model, highlighting the important role international sports bodies play in ensuring a transparent and fair transfer system. The IOC also welcomed the adoption of this important initiative, which it stated will serve as a landmark in shaping the future of sports policies in Europe.