On Tuesday, 30 September 2025, the members of EASE gathered online for the latest Board Meeting, joined by several guests and partners from across Europe.

Welcoming new members and partners 🤝

EASE President Philippe Diallo opened the meeting by welcoming participants and introducing new members of the EASE team — Shinead Le Hir and Cassandra Alves Mesquita — who will strengthen EASE’s operational and communication capacities.

The Board was also pleased to welcome several guests, reflecting EASE’s ambition to expand its network and impact across the continent:

  • Patrik Perosa (Sports Union of Slovenia)

  • Martin Benko and Roman Krajniak (Slovak Sport Innovation Center)

  • Ronalds Rezais (Latvian Sports Federation Council)

  • Jana Havrdova (Czechia Active)

  • Jacques Rivoal (Special Olympics France)

Each presented their organisation, sharing insights on how they contribute to the development and governance of sport in their respective countries.

National updates: shared challenges across Europe 🇪🇺

Board members then exchanged updates on key national developments affecting sport employers and organisations.

In France, debate continues over legislation on the governance of professional football and preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, including a proposed law to strengthen the French Football Federation’s oversight of the professional league and its budgetary management.

In Sweden and the Netherlands, collective bargaining negotiations in sport remain complex due to demands for higher wages and shorter working hours.
In Finland, stricter immigration rules are making it harder for athletes to obtain visas.
In Belgium, the combination of automatic wage indexation and reduced state funding is placing pressure on sport organisations.
Meanwhile, in Slovakia, tensions persist between professional leagues and federations over governance structures.

These discussions highlighted both the diversity and convergence of national challenges — balancing financial sustainability, workers’ rights, and good governance remains a shared concern across Europe.

Project updates: digital transformation and youth employability 💼

EASE staff then shared updates on ongoing European initiatives.
The TechSportKit project, recently approved by the European Commission, will explore how digital technologies are reshaping jobs and skills in sport.

The Employment@Sport project was also presented as a major success: EASE spent a week in Portugal with over 130 young participants from 10 countries, culminating in the adoption of the Torres Vedras Manifesto on Youth Employability in Sport — a collective statement to strengthen opportunities for young professionals in the sector.

EASE Talk #12: European action and funding opportunities in sport 🌍

A highlight of the meeting was the 12th edition of the EASE Talk, dedicated to the theme:

“How to develop the European action of sport employers?”

Two expert presentations framed this discussion:

  • Maximilian Seltmann (University of Cologne, Germany) shared findings from the SOPROS project, emphasizing the need for stronger social protection and dialogue for elite athletes, and the importance of coordinated European action to inspire national initiatives.

  • Gurvan Heuzé (KGH Conseil, France) offered practical insights on how sport organisations can access and leverage European funding, underlining that EU projects provide not only financial support, but also legitimacy, skills, and international cooperation opportunities — key drivers for building social dialogue in sport.

A collective ambition for stronger representation 💪

In closing, EASE President Philippe Diallo underlined the need for greater representation of sport employers at the European level:

“The more countries are represented within EASE, the stronger our collective voice will be with European institutions.”

The meeting concluded on a note of shared ambition — to continue building a united community of sport employers capable of shaping the future of work, governance, and dialogue in the European sport sector.