On 18 March 2025, the European Olympic Committees (EOC) EU Office participated in a high-level stakeholders’ dialogue hosted by the European Parliament to discuss its upcoming own-initiative report on the “Role of EU Policies in Shaping the European Sport Model (ESM)”. The event, moderated by the rapporteur, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Bogdan Zdrojewski (EPP, Poland) gathered a wide range of actors from EU institutions (Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, European Parliament’s rapporteurs for this report, European Commission’s Sport Unit, European Committee of the Regions), organised sport (elite and grassroots), think tanks and sport employers. 

With the last European Parliament report on EU sport policy published in 2021 under MEP Tomasz Frankowski, the current initiative seeks to guide EU policy action to strengthen the European Sport Model, in line with modern trends. 

Representatives from the EU institutions expressed their broad support to the European Sport Model. Iwona Łotysz, representing the Polish Council Presidency, described the ESM as a “list of values we subscribe to,” while Giorgio Guazzugli-Marini, Acting Head of the European Commission’s Sport Unit emphasized the educational and societal roles of sport, as well as its economic value through job creation and events. Roberto Pella from the European Committee of the Regions highlighted the critical role of local and regional authorities in financing and maintaining sport infrastructure, calling for better investment for sport infrastructure, including smaller-scale projects essential for accessibility and inclusion.  

Stakeholder consultation: EOC EU Office’s messages 

Taking the floor after presentations from several representatives of the football ecosystem, Folker Hellmund, Director of the EOC EU Office, outlined some of the challenges facing the European Sport Model, such as threats to sport governing bodies’ autonomy, need for enhanced transparency in financial flows within the solidarity mechanism, decline of volunteers’ engagement, and expressed the organised sport movement’s readiness to cooperate with public authorities to mitigate these issues. Subsequently, the Director called on Members of the European Parliament and EU institutions at large to: 

• Prioritise sport in the EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) 
• Establish measures to recognise volunteers’ skills and contribution to sport and society in general
• Cooperate with sport organisations to protect the responsible autonomy of sport organisations from undue government interference
• Consider sport as a cross-cutting priority and integrate its potential to alleviate societal issues in other EU policies (including health, education, inclusion and equality, etc.)

Following the presentations, the shadow-rapporteurs and present MEPs raised questions to the speakers and mentioned their main points of attention, including the protection of athletes’ well-being (Nikos Pappas, The Left – Greece), sufficient funding for sport infrastructure (Hannes Heide, S&D – Austria), distribution of funds to the grassroots level and crowded competition calendar especially in football (Nikola Minchev, Renew – Bulgaria), recognition of female sports (Carolina Morace – The Left, Italy). 

Exchange of views between MEPs 

Following the stakeholder consultation, the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) held an exchange of views between the Committee’s members on 19 March.  

MEP Zdrojewski emphasized the need for a values-based sport model rooted in fair play, solidarity, and inclusivity. He reinforced the economic significance of sport, accounting for 3% of the EU’s GDP and 6 million jobs, while stressing the importance of balancing grassroots and elite sport, ensuring funding opportunities, and supporting volunteers.  

Representatives from the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission reaffirmed the fundamental role of sport in European society. Discussions addressed challenges, including legal certainty, governance transparency, and the commercialisation of sport. Shadow rapporteurs raised concerns over the European Super League, the decline in volunteer participation, safeguarding of athletes, and the redistribution of funds. The debate underscored the need to protect the pyramid structure of sport while adapting to evolving challenges.  

MEP Zdrojewski concluded that the ESM does not require drastic reforms but rather targeted improvements, striking a balance between tradition and innovation.  

Next steps 

Following the stakeholder consultation, participants were asked to send a written contribution which will feed the MEPs’ reflections for the draft report. 

The report is expected to be finalised by 25 April and presented to the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) in June, before adoption in plenary in early autumn.