The European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) has published a draft report on the role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model. The report, authored by the rapporteur MEP Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (EPP, Poland), reaffirms Parliament’s strong commitment to defending a sport model built on solidarity, sporting merit, and inclusiveness, while recognising the growing threats from commercialisation, foreign investment, and breakaway competitions. 

The report calls for the establishment of a long-term EU sport strategy, which feeds into the work of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Accordingly, the report is structured around four main pillars: society and inclusivity; EU values and solidarity; collective governance and athletes’ rights; and how EU policy can strengthen and protect the European Sport Model (ESM). It calls for more precise legal guidance for sports stakeholders, enhanced financial solidarity systems, and improved governance with stronger representation for athletes and fans. Additionally, it suggests boosting Erasmus+ funding and creating a Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for professional sports. 

ENGSO has made its contributions available to the rapporteur and is pleased to see that grassroots sport made its way into the report. In particular, the report notes the important role of grassroots in the ESM and the need to ensure its sustainability through effective solidarity mechanisms. The link between professional sports and grassroots must be further strengthened by putting in place fairer revenue sharing, which helps address pressing issues affecting the grassroots sport sector. Not least, the report acknowledges the declining number of volunteers across Europe, which is a worrying trend. 

The CULT Committee is expected to vote in July, with the aim of presenting the report in plenary after the summer break.