More interestingly for the sport sector, holding the Council Presidency also means chairing the meetings of the different Council configurations and the Council's preparatory bodies.

This includes the Working Party on Sport. Portugal will therefore take on a prominent role in leading and shaping the agenda of these meetings.

Furthermore, the programme of the Portuguese Presidency includes several paragraphs that directly relate to sport:

"The Presidency will also pay attention to community policing and promoting public security, including the protection of public spaces and safety and violence in sport."

As part of the new EU Work Plan for Sport 2021-2024, the Portuguese Presidency has declared to cover the topic of innovation and digitalisation under the socioeconomic and environmental dimensions of sport:

"The Presidency will map innovation in sport and identify new trends in ‘sport of the future’ as part of the next EU Work Plan for Sport."

Additionally, the EU Sport Forum will take place under the Portuguese Presidency. It is not yet clear, however, when the Forum will be organised and whether it will take place entirely virtually, as a hybrid format or even as a physical event:

"Together with the European Commission, we will organise the EU Sport Forum."

Last but not least, also as part of the EU Work Plan, a focus will be put on the topic of sport diplomacy. The plan is to organise a conference to foster best-practice exchange and knowledge-building:

"Attention will be paid to sport as an instrument of the EU’s external relations, with a particular focus on Africa and Latin America."