News

The European Week of Sport takes place at EU, national, regional and local level. Public authorities, the sport movement, civil society organisations, the private sector, grassroots initiatives and individuals are working together to inspire people to be more active.

The Week is structured around four themes: education environment, workplace, outdoors, and sport clubs and fitness centres.

On 15 September, the flagship event of the week is taking place in Brussels – on ‘Good Governance in Sport’. It includes workshops, conferences and social events with high-level representatives of major sport federations, European Olympic Committees and national Olympic Committees as well as representatives of EU institutions, Member States and other European/international organisations.

Good Governance is one of the main priorities of UNI Europa’s Sport sector – without it the risk of doping, match fixing and corruption is increased considerably.

Good governance of sport organisations is a condition for their autonomy. Where they engage in economic activity, standards need to be even higher. Good governance also means that sport organisations ensure athletes retain their human rights as well as their individual and collective rights as workers – with social dialogue between workers and employers being an absolute minimum standard.

“Good governance is not achievable without respecting athletes’ rights. The rights to organise or collective bargaining are fundamental rights and ILO core standards” said Amel Djemail, Policy Officer UNI Europa Sport.

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Key messages

Good governance of sport organisations is a condition for their autonomy: where they engage in economic activity, standards need to be even higher.

Athletes retain their human rights as well as individual and collective rights as workers, which must be respected by sport organisations.

Social dialogue with workers is an absolute minimum precondition for good governance.

Bad governance is the soil for doping, match fixing, corruption, and more.