EU & Sports
Introduction: Sport and the European Union
Until the mid-eighties, Sport and European politics had for a long time been players in different leagues, then to suddenly enter into the same arena when European politicians discovered the trans-national character of sport as an important tool with which to consolidate a common European identity. From this first official notion of sport in the so-called Adonnino Report in 1985 to its inclusion in a specific article of the European Treaty of Lisbon passed more than twenty years of changing history.
In the followingwe will, on the one hand, present a short overview of the main developments in the European Union’s sport In the followingwe will, on the one hand, present a short overview of the main developments in the European Union’s sport related policies and, on the other, illustrate the specific character of sport in Europe, including its organisational structure, as well as the special concept of sports autonomy.policies and, on the other, illustrate the specific character of sport in Europe, including its organisational structure, as well as the special concept of sports autonomy.
Moreover, the repercussions existing EU legislation has on sport will be looked at in a special chapter on “EU Law and sports”.