Brussels, 5 May 2025
The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), together with more than 150 signatories from the European and international sport and physical activity ecosystem, has released a coordinated joint statement urging EU institutions to prioritise sport and physical activity in the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034.
This united call for action comes at a crucial time, as the European Union begins shaping its next long-term budget. The statement highlights the vital role sport and physical activity play in addressing societal challenges and delivering tangible economic, health, and social benefits — and urges the EU to secure dedicated funding across flagship programmes such as Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and EU4Health.
“Sport is not just a leisure activity. It’s a powerful tool to build healthy and resilient societies by improving public health, fostering social inclusion, creating jobs, and bringing people together,” said Jérôme Pero, Secretary General of FESI. “As the voice of a €105 billion industry that supports over 800,000 jobs in Europe, we know that investing in sport — and in the ecosystem that supports it — is not just good policy, it’s smart economics. We urge EU leaders to recognise the value of sport and reflect that in the next MFF.”
Research shows that every €1 invested in grassroot sport generates a return of €5 in broader economic and social benefits. Sport also contributes around 2.12% to the EU’s GDP and employs over 5 million people. But its full potential can only be unlocked with consistent, long-term investment and integration into EU policymaking.
The joint statement outlines five key demands:
- Increase funding for sport and physical activity under the MFF, recognising its impact on health, social inclusion, economy, and security.
- Preserve and expand Erasmus+ Sport, ensuring youth and grassroots projects continue to benefit from mobility and innovation funding.
- Strengthen sport and physical activity’s role in EU4Health, integrating sport into preventive healthcare strategies to combat chronic diseases and mental health challenges.
- Secure investment in sport and physical activity through EU cohesion policies, ensuring sport infrastructure, digital innovation, and environmental sustainability remain priorities.
- Recognise sport as a strategic sector in EU economic policy, ensuring that sport-related SMEs, innovation, and job creation initiatives are protected from cuts.
With more than 150 signatories — including European and International associations, universities, sports federations and clubs, NGOs and businesses — this is one of the largest collective calls ever made on behalf of the European sport and physical activity sector.
The coming months will be crucial as the European Commission, Parliament, and Council are working on their proposals for the next MFF. FESI and its partners will continue to engage with decision-makers to ensure that sport and physical activity — along with the communities and industries they support — are recognised as a priority in Europe’s future.
The full joint statement can be read here.
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About FESI: Founded in 1960 FESI, the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry, is the unique pre-competitive platform representing the interests of the sporting goods industry in Europe, advancing its members’ priorities and promoting initiatives that benefit the sector, EU citizens and the society as a whole. FESI represents the interests of approximately 1.800 sporting goods manufacturers (85% of the European market) through its National Sporting Goods Industry Federations and its directly affiliated member companies. 70-75% of FESI’s membership is made up of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. In total, the European Sporting Goods Industry employs over 700.000 EU citizens and has an annual turnover of some 81 billion euro.
Media contact: Ariane Gatti – FESI Senior Communication & Policy Manager / [email protected] / +32 (0) 2 762 86 48
