Although the existence of sport can be traced back as far as 776 BC, it has only featured at the level of the European Union (EU) in the late 1980’s owing to an increase in economic activity.
Today, EU law is of considerable importance in the regulation of sport. Although there has been an increase in EU legislation that seeks to regulate sport, at the same time EU law still fundamentally recognises the sporting autonomy principle within Sport Governing Bodies (SGB’s).
Such sporting autonomy, which can take various forms such as legal, political, and financial, allows Sport Governing Bodies to establish, amend and interpret their rules freely, without any undue political or economic influence.
The competence of the EU in relation to sport is to develop an evidence-based policy and to foster cooperation and manage initiatives in support of physical activity and sport across Europe.
In 2017, the European Commission released a White Paper on Sport which was hailed as being the first comprehensive initiative on sport by the EU.