On 18 May 2026, the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) of the European Parliament published its draft report on the Erasmus+ programme for the 2028-2034 period. Rapporteur Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP, Poland) places significant emphasis on sport, advocating for the development of its European dimension and highlighting the benefits of investment, particularly in terms of promoting EU values, as well as fostering innovation and skills. The draft report also calls for the allocation of at least 4.1% of the programme’s budget to sport, which is a significant increase from the current 1.9%. In addition, it offers definitions of athletes and sport staff and retains the possibility of their mobility as an action under the new programme. More broadly, the draft report encourages synergies with other programmes, notably to ease pressure on the programme’s resources, and calls for a balance between flexibility, predictability, and transparency.

The EOC EU Office, through its advocacy work and participation in consultations, duly contributed to shaping the prominent place given to sport in this draft report. However, a thorough analysis of the proposed provisions is still underway. The file will be discussed at the next CULT Committee meeting on 3 June 2026, and MEPs have until 10 June 2026 to submit their amendments. The EOC EU Office will be active in promoting a relevant and increased support for the sport sector.