The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) welcomes the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) vote on the future Erasmus+ programme 2028–2034, proposing to increase the share of funding dedicated to sport from 1.9% to 4.1%.
FESI also welcomes the proposed increase in the overall Erasmus+ budget to €47.39 billion for 2028–2034, representing an increase of around 16% compared with the €40.8 billion proposed by the European Commission in July 2025. The current 2021–2027 Erasmus+ programme has a budget of approximately €26 billion.
FESI considers this an important step towards ensuring that the next EU budget better reflects the contribution and potential of sport and physical activity across Europe.
“We welcome this important step forward for sport within Erasmus+. Sport and physical activity contribute to healthier and more inclusive societies, education and skills development, and stronger communities. The future EU budget should reflect this broad contribution and ensure that sport has the resources and visibility to play its full role.” – Jérôme Pero, FESI Secretary General
The vote follows more than a year of advocacy by FESI and its Sport & Physical Activity Coalition. Ahead of the European Commission’s proposal in May 2025, FESI brought together more than 150 organisations calling for stronger recognition and funding for sport and physical activity in the next EU budget and Erasmus+ programme. The coalition subsequently called for at least 5% of Erasmus+ funding to be dedicated to sport and physical activity and continued its engagement with EU decision-makers.
FESI congratulates Rapporteur Bogdan Zdrojewski and the CULT Committee for recognising the importance of sport in the future Erasmus+ programme and supporting a stronger dedicated allocation. While the proposed 4.1% represents a significant increase from the current 1.9%, FESI and its coalition will continue to advocate for the 5% ambition throughout the next stages of the process.
“This outcome demonstrates the value of coordinated advocacy across the sport and physical activity sector. FESI is proud to have brought together more than 150 organisations around a common call for stronger investment in sport. We will continue working closely with our coalition partners and engaging with Members of the European Parliament and the Council to build on this progress and ensure that the final Erasmus+ programme reflects the needs of the sector.” – Ariane Gatti, Senior Communication & Policy Manager, FESI
Following the European Parliament plenary vote planned for November, FESI will continue its engagement with the European Parliament and the Council ahead of the interinstitutional negotiations, advocating for a strong and clearly identified allocation for sport and physical activity in the final Erasmus+ programme.
About FESI: Founded in 1960 FESI – the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry 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.
Contact: Ariane Gatti, FESI Senior Communication & Policy Manager / [email protected] / +32 274 08 94
