As negotiations on the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028-2034) advance, the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the EOC EU Office have highlighted the importance of ensuring that organised sport is adequately reflected in the future EU budget.
At the heart of the discussions lies the Erasmus+ Programme, the main EU funding instrument supporting sport-related initiatives. European National Olympic Committees (NOCs) can benefit from Erasmus+ to support activities linked to major events such as the European Youth Olympic Festival and the European Games, as well as projects promoting cooperation, capacity-building and knowledge exchange across the Olympic Movement.
While the European Parliament is considering a significant increase of the Erasmus+ budget to €50 billion, stakeholders are calling for a stronger allocation for sport. Raising its share from the current 1.9% to at least 5% is seen as key to strengthening the scale and long-term impact of sport initiatives across Europe.
In this context, a targeted call to action has been launched towards the 27 EU NOCs, encouraging them to actively contribute to the ongoing discussions and engage with EU policymakers, notably Members of the European Parliament. This coordinated effort aims to ensure that sport is firmly positioned within the next EU budget cycle and continues to deliver value for European society.