Football Supporters Europe (FSE) welcomes the decision by members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) to adopt the report on the “Role of EU Policies in Shaping the European Sport Model”. The report highlights the need for political action at the European level to address issues that will be of concern for supporters across the continent.
FSE particularly welcomes the call for more effective financial redistribution mechanisms and, in view of the relentless rise of multi-club ownership structures, the acknowledgement of the need to safeguard the financial integrity and competitive balance of European sport by examining the increasing impact of foreign investment and ownership. The report also emphasises the need to protect the vertical nature of the European Sport Model, in which promotion and relegation take place at national level and annual performance in domestic leagues is the sole criterion for qualification to European competitions.
Two more issues that have been high on FSE’s agenda recently are also addressed. The report highlights the rise of dynamic ticket pricing, which can impede the accessibility of sport events in Europe, and calls for the close monitoring of market participants’ compliance with EU legislation. In addition, it calls on the football governing bodies to prevent domestic competition matches from being played abroad.
Finally, the report also urges the Member States to continue to insist that the award of hosting rights for major sports events should be merit-based and that hosts, organisers and sponsors uphold the values of the European Sport Model, including human rights, democratic values, and sustainability.
FSE would like to thank the rapporteur, Bogdan Zdrojewski MEP, for his support and willingness to hear the concerns of stakeholders and the members of the CULT Committee for adopting the report by such a clear majority.
We look forward to the final plenary vote scheduled for September 2025 and reiterate our commitment to work with all sport stakeholders to bring about a strengthening of existing EU policies to ensure a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future for European sport.
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