Mar 10, 2025
Earlier this year we were delighted to kick off our latest ERASMUS+ project: Athletes for Good governance and Rights in EuropE (AGREE). Coordinated by EAPA, our first meeting was held in Madrid earlier this year.
The AGREE project promotes the integrity and values in sport, focusing on improving good governance in sport. The aim of the project is to promote the sport governance by enhancing the relevant knowledge and developing competences related to collective bargaining.
The topic of collective bargaining was identified as one of the key areas where more work was needed during EAPA’s General Assembly 2023. Furthermore, the importance was earlier highlighted in the EU Athletes Common Position Paper (2022).
The project will start with research into collective bargaining in sport, as well as exploring the connections between Collective Bargaining Agreements, Good Governance and Athlete Rights. Based on this research, the CBA Report and the Final Report shall be published.
Thereafter 16 job shadowing visits will be organised. Through these visits, partners will be able to develop their knowledge and competencies related to collective bargaining. Furthermore, seven national events involving key stakeholders shall be organised.
Based on the results obtained from the research and the input and experiences from the visits and events, the project will place a focus on preparing European minimum standards and practical guidelines. This will lead to the publication of the following papers: the Minimum Standard European Contract, the Minimum Standard European CBA and the Practical Guide on Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Lastly, the project shall ensure that the activities and all the obtained results are widely shared via specific campaigns and social media.
The project consortium is composed of 10 members, EAPA, the Edge Hill University as the research institution, and eight player associations:
ABP – Spanish Basketball Players Association
AJFSF – Spanish Women’s Futsal Players Association
HSF – Danish Handball Players Association
GIBA – Italian Basketball Players Association
GPA – Gaelic Player Association
JPY – The Football Players Association of Finland
NL Sporter – Dutch Athletes Association
Provale – French Rugby Player Association
For further information regarding the project, please contact: info@euathletes.org
Feb 11, 2025
The European Athletes and Players Association (EAPA) is proud to announce the successful conclusion of PROtect Integrity Online – an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the European Union. The two-year initiative has been dedicated to promoting integrity and combating match-fixing in sport. Through extensive research, development, and implementation, the PROtect Integrity Online has provided thousands of professional athletes across Europe with integrity education using online tools and methods.
Over the past 15 years, EAPA and its project partners have been at the forefront of tackling match-fixing through education. Athlete and player associations play a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of sport, leveraging their close relationships with athletes to deliver impactful learning experiences. The PROtect Integrity Online project has reinforced this commitment by equipping players with the knowledge to anticipate and resist corruption and manipulation.
Key Achievements of PROtect Integrity Online:
- Extensive Education Outreach: Eight player associations delivered in-person integrity education to 7,533 athletes across 591 team visits.
- Innovative Learning Materials: Development of engaging educational resources, including a revised Code of Conduct, animated videos, and interactive tools to enhance learning.
- Research and Recommendations: Comprehensive reports mapping the landscape of match-fixing education and providing strategic recommendations for future efforts.
As a direct follow-up to this success, EAPA has now launched PROtect Integrity Responsibly, a new initiative building on the best practices and lessons learned. This next phase aims to further refine integrity education strategies, ensuring that athletes continue to receive the highest quality support in recognizing and resisting match-fixing threats.
Why Match-Fixing Education Matters Match-fixing remains a significant challenge in professional sports, with athletes often being the primary targets of manipulation. Without proper education, players may find themselves vulnerable to criminal influence, risking their careers and the credibility of their sport. The PROtect Integrity Online project has demonstrated that systematic, engaging, and well-structured education is key to empowering athletes and protecting the game.
Next Steps and Resources The legacy of PROtect Integrity Online continues through the freely available educational materials developed during the project, including:
With the launch of PROtect Integrity Responsibly in January 2025, EAPA and its partners reaffirm their commitment to strengthening sport integrity across Europe. By learning from past successes and continuously evolving educational approaches, the fight against match-fixing remains at the heart of our mission.
For further information on our initiatives and access to educational resources, please visit: www.protect-integrity.com
Our thanks to our project partners:
AJSF (men’s futsal, Spain), AJFSF (women’s futsal, Spain), RPI (rugby union, Ireland), HSF (handball, Denmark), GIBA (basketball, Italy), AIP (volleyball, Italy), SNB (basketball, France), AJPH (handball, France), University of Rennes 2 (research institution)
This project has been co-funded by the European Union. The content reflects only the authors’ views, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Oct 2, 2017
With our Erasmus+ project “2016 PROtect Integrity” concluding at the end of the year, we have organized the Dissemination Conference in Barcelona on 25-27th of September. The goal of this event was to share the first results of the project, share best practices and partners’ experiences through the project and to further discuss issues related to match-fixing and the player unions’ role in protecting the integrity of sport.
The Conference has gathered around 50 participants representing national player unions (from and outside project consortium) and other organizations such as FIFPro, IRPA, PPF, World Players, Europol, ESSA, RGA and National Platforms from France and Denmark. The delegates had an opportunity to get an update on completed and ongoing project activities of the project, particularly the academic research led by prof. David Forrest, as well as best practices presented by partner player associations. With the ambition to go further in order to tackle match-fixing, the second day included interventions on initiatives and cooperation against match fixing.
The Conference took place during the European Week of Sport, which is strongly supported by EU Athletes and its members. As a part of the project, we have prepared a short video available here, which features elite players from around Europe, united in the #BeActive and #PROtectIntegrity message addressed to grassroots level and young athletes.
The PROtect Integrity initiative will continue next year, with the Erasmus+ project “PROtect Integrity Plus”.
Apr 27, 2017
On the 25-26th of April in Stockholm, the third and final Catch-up Round Table has taken place. Besides being an opportunity for 10 participating player associations to give a feedback about the implementation of the project and discuss with the staff, it was focused on problem gambling within professional athletes. During the workshop led by an expert from Sporting Chance Clinic
Following the presentation, round table and discussion, participants explored the areas such as education, player welfare, recognizing and dealing with gambling problem, the need for improved sport governance and the recognition of player welfare in order to properly deal with the issue.
The next meeting organized under Erasmus+ 2016 PROtect Integrity project – the Dissemination Conference, will take place in Barcelona, Spain, 25-27th of September 2017.
Feb 23, 2017
The second Catch-up Round Table organized in the frame of our Erasmus+ 2016 PROtect Integrity project has taken place in Milan, 21-22nd of February. The main focus of the meeting was the national cooperation against match fixing and the involvement of player associations within the process. To discuss this topic, we have invited Cassandra Fernandes from the Council of Europe in order to exchange on the added value of the player associations’ involvement in the national platforms. The meeting was equally an opportunity for partners to share their experiences from team visits and implementation the project at the national level. The project staff meeting followed, with the research on the quality of match fixing education, social media campaign planned for the EWoS 2017 and the Dissemination Conference being the main points on the agenda. The final Catch-up Round Table will take place in Stockholm in April. 
