ABSTRACT
Sport has a growing impact on the European Union (EU) economy and society as a whole. Since 2009, the EU has coordinated sports policy supported by a specific budget and developed cooperation with international bodies in the area of sport. However, EU competence in sport is limited by national governments. The EU has, therefore ‘opted to act via soft policy tools, such as guidelines, recommendations, and funding, to support its sport-related objectives’. This chapter is organised in three parts. First, a brief historical study on the regulatory framework concerning EU policies in the field of sports is analysed. Then, the impact of the initiatives, programs, and specific actions that EU has launched in this field (e.g. Erasmus + program, the European Week of Sport, or the immigrant’s inclusion policies) are discussed. Finally, data from the Euro Barometer survey is examined to describe the initiatives with an economic dimension and the relationship between sport and society.
