SAFE HARBOUR’s fourth newsletter is here, packed with news from a busy and important stretch in our work to make European sport safer for everyone. Every six months, we bring partners, stakeholders and the wider sporting community up to speed on where the project stands, what we have delivered and what is coming next.
This edition looks back on SAFE HARBOUR’s progress since March 2026, when the project passed its halfway mark. Highlights include the Mid-Term Conference on the GAP Report findings, a progress report confirming the project is on track, and a new database of safeguarding actors across Europe. Building on this momentum, partners met in Frankfurt in June to launch the implementation phase. That same month, the Ranking Tool was submitted and an article based on the GAP Report appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The progress of the SAFE HARBOUR project has not gone unnoticed, with the European Commissioner Glenn Micallef explicitly highlighting the project in his answer to a parliamentary question, and it was showcased as a good practice in the EU Open Method of Coordination Group on athletes’ rights and at European Aquatics’ athlete welfare conference in Dublin.
With implementation now underway, the Partners Corner shows what this new chapter looks like in practice, as preparation gives way to action in partner Federations and National Olympic Committees across Europe. From awareness sessions for athletes and preparations for the Youth Olympic Games, to new national structures, dedicated reporting centres and the first trained Focal Points, the consortium is putting real energy into turning shared commitments into lasting change on the ground.
Subscribe to the SAFE HARBOUR Newsletter and follow the project on LinkedIn and its website to stay informed. The next SAFE HARBOUR newsletter is scheduled for June 2027 – stay tuned!
Background information on the SAFE HARBOUR project.
SAFE HARBOUR, standing for "Strengthening Response Mechanisms for Safeguarding in European Sport", is a 30-month project co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Sport Programme 2024. Coordinated by the EOC EU Office, the consortium brings together Thomas More and the Asser Institute as experts in safeguarding, human rights and law, alongside 2 International Federations (the International Biathlon Union and the International Ice Hockey Federation) and 20 National Olympic Committees (Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is also involved as an external resource.
The project aims to strengthen the capacity of European NOCs and Federations to address safeguarding concerns by identifying gaps, developing a European Response Framework and fostering collaboration. This framework will be adapted to national contexts and complemented by training and awareness initiatives to enhance safeguarding at both national and European levels. Ultimately, SAFE HARBOUR seeks to equip partner organisations with the tools and confidence to implement effective safeguarding measures, establish a robust support network for Safeguarding Officers, and lay the groundwork for a future IOC Regional Safeguarding Hub.
