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SHAPING EU SPORT Project Concludes with Final Presentation in Brussels

Brussels, 12 December 2025 

The Erasmus+ project Shaping EU Sport, documenting fifteen years of European Union engagement in the field of sport, concluded on 12 December 2025 with a distinguished final presentation and reception at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU in Brussels.

The project traced the development of EU sport policy and brought together European sport policymakers, experts, and former Chairs of the Council Working Party on Sport to reflect on its evolution since 2009, when sport was formally embedded in the EU agenda through Article 165 of the Lisbon Treaty.

The final event, organised by the incoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026 together with the project consortium, aimed to share the main outcomes of this two-year initiative (2024–2025) and to encourage further reflection on the future of EU sport policy.

Dr Vassos Koutsioundas (BA, FCA, PhD), Acting Director General of the Cyprus Sport Organisation and Chair of the Council Working Party on Sport in 2012 and 2026, highlighted:

"The greatest achievements of EU sport policy have emerged not from imposing a single vision, but from embracing diversity and forging consensus that reflects our common values."

Among the project's central outcomes is the interactive website www.shapingeusport.eu, which brings together key EU sport policy documents, reflections on fifteen years of policy development (2010–2025), insights from former Chairs, and ideas for future cooperation.

Another key outcome is the project publication, which offers:

• Reflections on the achievements of 15 years of EU sport policy (2010 – 2025)
• Enhancing the visibility and accessibility of EU sport policy documents
• Insights from former Chairs of the Working Party on Sport of the Council of the EU
• Perspectives on future cooperation, including possible formats for regular informal meetings of Chairs

The publication is available for download at: https://shapingeusport.eu/storage/seus-booklet.pdf

Elena Malíková, Project Manager and Chair of the Council Working Party on Sport during the Slovak Presidency in 2016, emphasised:

"While EU sport policy has achieved much over the past decade, these accomplishments were often dispersed. This project makes them visible and accessible by consolidating them into an interactive website and publication."

Presenting the project website, Kairis Ulp, Head of the Estonian Sport Register and Chair of the Council Working Party on Sport during the Estonian presidency in 2017, noted:

"This website is not only a historical overview, but a practical tool for sport policymakers, experts, and the wider public."

Concluding the event, Ioanna Paraskevopoulou, Vice - Chair of the Council Working Party on Sport in 2012 and 2026, underlined that the final presentation in Brussels marked not only the successful completion of the project, but also a moment of reflection on fifteen years of shared achievements.

She emphasised that "Shaping EU Sport preserves collective experience, invites forward-looking dialogue, and illustrates the collaborative and consensus-driven nature of European sport governance".

Implemented by partners from Slovakia, Cyprus, and Estonia, Shaping EU Sport fosters long-term cooperation, sustainability, and a shared understanding of the evolution of EU sport policy since its formal recognition in the Lisbon Treaty.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. 

Elena Malíková, Vassos Koutsioundas, Kairis Ulp, Ioanna Paraskevopoulou