Jun 17, 2022
The European Commission and the French Presidency organised the most important annual event in the European sport sector in Lille (France) on 16th and 17th of June. During two days, sports stakeholders from around Europe shared their views on the future of sport policy in Europe.
EU Athletes has participated actively in the discussion, with our Vice-President, Natalia Orive, participating in a panel discussion on athletes empowerment on the second day of the Forum.
“If you’re not bargaining, your begging” Natalia Orive, EU athletes Vice-president.
During her presentation she highlighted the importance of independent athletes association in the decision making processes as a way to improve the governance of sport organisation and empower athletes:
“We have seen some progress in the recent year but the situation is still not ideal. The Covid pandemic is a clear indicator of athletes’ empowerment. In a lot of sports and countries basics health and safety measures were not even discussed with players. In 2022 it’s not acceptable anymore” and she added “EU Athletes has long been striving to ensure that the athletes we represent enjoy the same fundamental rights as any other European citizen and worker. This includes the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, which together lay the foundation for athlete empowerment”.
Jun 14, 2022
Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th of June EU Athletes participated in both consultative committee meeting and governing board of EPAS. This first in person meeting after 2 years of pandemic was a unique opportunity for the organisation to present our ongoing work in certain area where the Council of Europe is active (fight against online abuse, protection of children and match-fixing).
This in person meeting also the opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of EPAS.
Jun 6, 2022
Today EU Athletes publishes the results of its research on the long-term impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Players and their Player associations in Europe.
This study is the continuation of the EU Athletes survey that was conducted amongst EU Athletes members at the early stage of the pandemic in 2020 (can be found here).
For EU Athletes Vice President, Natalie ORIVE, the results of this second survey shows that even if the pandemic is almost behind, it still has an important overall impact on Athletes in Europe “It was clear in our mind that the effects of the pandemic could only be measured in the long term, that’s why we wanted to have a clear evaluation of the situation two years after the pandemic has started”.
Over the last 2 years the work done by the Player Association for their members was structurally modified. With limited access to the players, no face to face interaction and majority of the work conducted online the consequences could have been dramatic. The results show that only 22% of the association have experienced a loss in their membership while at the same time 74% of them experienced an increase in a demand for services from the period compared to before the pandemic.
“In a really insecure time for players it’s great and encouraging to see players reaching out to their Player Association for help” Natalia Orive, vice-president of EU Athletes.
Structural governance problems, the involvement of the Player Association.
The report further revealed a number of issues of concern that need acknowledgement and drastic countermeasures. These include, among other things, a lack of respect for players’ rights and interests, a deprivation of players’ workers status and proper contracts, and insufficient involvement of player associations in decision-making processes. 48% of the player association reported a “lack of involvement in the decision making process” while leagues and federations were taking measures that would directly affect players (scheduling of the season, pay-cuts, health and safety protocol…).
58% of the members association have noticed a decrease in players salary during the pandemic period. “This situation is really alarming for athletes, especially in less professionalized sports” said Natalia Orive.
Mental health and women sport 2 areas of concern.
“We knew that COVID-19 would affect the mental health of athletes. Now we have the data that corroborate this statement” said Natalia Orive “From one day to the next athletes were going from permanent activity to nothing. It’s pretty much as if all the athletes in Europe retired on the exact same day, with no or little vision of what would come next. 70% of our members have reported a negative impact on their mental health. It’s really alarming and concrete measures should be taken rapidly. Mental health should be properly addressed from now on” she added.
While some player associations reported having witnessed more sponsoring and more media attention being brought to women’s sport, it remains a fact that the area is of low priority as 67% of the respondents received “no targeted support for women”. This is alarming considering that such support is necessary in protecting the significant progress women’s elite sport has seen over the past years.
EU Athletes will continue to work on a post-pandemic evaluation of the individual situation of its members to ensure that the mentioned issues of concern (as well as additional issues listed in the report) are duly addressed both at the European and national level.
You can download the full report here.
For any inquiries please contact EU Athletes : info@euathletes.org
May 9, 2022
EU Athletes is pleased to announce that the Social Dialogue in Europe for Professional (SDE Pro) Sports project has been approved and is set to officially start in June 2022 under the Support for Social Dialogue programme. In the course of this 2-year project, co-funded by the EU, EU Athletes will together with the European Association of Sport Employers (EASE) and the German Sport University of Cologne contribute to the development of social dialogue between employers and employees in professional sport in the EU.
As highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic, social dialogue in professional sport is underdeveloped at EU level, and needs to be strengthened. Social dialogue is an essential element to good governance in the sport sector and an important tool for the development of professional sport. It enables the economic development of the sector on the one hand, and the protection of athletes on the other hand. Therefore, this project is expected to bring about positive change for EU Athletes members, particularly in regards to capacity building, organization, and the creation of new player associations.
The first phase of the project (2022-2023) will consist of mapping and highlighting positive aspects of the various collective agreements in place on national level around Europe. From this, the project partners will produce guides gathering good practices and relevant information for the implementation of social dialogue in professional sports at national level (2023-2024). The common work of the associations and organisations from various European countries will potentially also contribute to the development of social dialogue in professional sports at a European level. There is no such framework in place in the EU right now, but this project will encourage a reflection for the future.
On 28th of April 2022, the SDE Pro Sports project partners met on Teams for a first operational meeting. The upcoming kick-off meeting is to be held in July 2022, including the three partners and five members each from EU Athletes and EASE. Members will be invited to the meeting to share their knowledge and reflect on a common ground for social dialogue in Europe. They will also be brought into the project at later stages and enabled active participation throughout its duration.
More information about the project is available here.
Apr 27, 2022
After two years of online meetings caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, EU Athletes members were happy to meet in person for the 2022 General Assembly. The event took place last Friday, the 22nd of April 2022 in Valencia, Spain and gathered over 30 representatives of player and athlete unions and associations from different sports and countries in Europe.
The participants reflected on the work and achievements of the association advancing the rights and interests of the European athletes over the last year, including Erasmus+ projects, advocacy work or the ISU case. Topics discussed also included the Russian invasion on Ukraine, place of player associations in the sport governance and the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on athletes and their associations. The General Assembly was an opportunity to discuss the policy and future priorities, following an exchange on the draft of the new Common Position Paper, as the document adopted in 2018 is under revision.
During the Assembly, Brendon Batson (PPF) and Natalia Orive (AJFSF) were re-elected to the Board for next 3 year terms. Tom Parsons (GPA) and Mark Leroy (UA) were elected as new members for terms of 3 years and 1 year respectively. During the Board meeting tat took place directly after the General Assembly and recognizing their leadership in the previous years, Brendon and Natalia were re-elected as the President and Vice President of EU Athletes.
