ABSTRACT
Sport is a fundamental pillar of European civil society. European governments have acknowledged the benefits that sport provides in terms of social cohesion, health and national pride, and also the economic benefits related, for example, to jobs and tax revenue (Jack, 2018). According to the European Commission’s official statistics, sport accounts for three percent of Europe’s Gross Domestic Product (https://ec.europa.eu">https://ec.europa.eu). However, the European “sport movement” (that is, “the group of the leading sport organisations in each country” (Chaker, 2004, p. 6)) has faced several challenges during recent decades concerning the development and implementation of sport regulatory policy. Many factors have led to the “governing of sport” becoming very challenging. These include an uncertain legal framework, increased cross-border activity, the global approach that sports clubs and organisations have adopted, regulatory requirements of international federations and ever more complex laws, both from national governments and the European Union (EU) (Geeraert & Drieskens, 2017).
