European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation
ENGSO
ENGSO is the European Sports NGO and the leading voice for voluntary-based grassroots sport in Europe.
ID: 114500024887-83
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and European Youth Forum and
14 Jan 2026 · Stakeholder dialogue on establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034
Meeting with Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and Union of European Football Associations and
10 Dec 2025 · Stakeholder dialogue on establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2028-2034
21 Nov 2025
Please refer to the attached document for ENGSO and ENGSO Youth's position and recommendations. Our position takes into account both the youth and grassroot sport sectors.
Read full responseResponse to Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030
23 Jul 2025
Include sport as a key area for equality - The reasons for including sport are two-fold: one - sport helps challenge stereotypes and has the potential to increase confidence and empower girls, women and vulnerable groups, as well as to bring diverse communities together. Sport should therefore be included as a key area to promote gender equality, inclusion, and empowerment. Two - this would encourage sport federations and other actors in the field of sport to be responsible and accountable to improve gender equality. Examples could be found from the field of sport to illustrate gender discrimination. Considering the prevalence of gender-based violence in sport, a specific section on Sexual Harassment in Sport and Physical Activity could be beneficial. Finally, the strategy should include actions to make sport safe and inclusive. This means preventing violence and harassment, training coaches and staff, and creating clear and safe ways to report abuse or discrimination. Better include and support grassroots sport organisation - The new strategy could include recommendations to ensure all EU sport funding supports inclusion, gender equality, and SOGIESC rights, to encourage work across sectors (e.g., equality, youth, sport, education) for a joint approach, to fund community-led sport projects that promote inclusion and safety, and to increase consultations with experts on gender, equality, sport, and SOGIESC rights including civil society and grassroots organisations. Combating gender-based violence - The new strategy should be stronger on combating gender-based violence. In the field of sport, a European wide cooperation in screening all applicants for trainer and volunteer positions would prevent cross-border activities of perpetrators. Intersectionality - It is appreciated that intersectionality is mentioned and taken into account, however it needs to be addressed properly: visibility must be structural, not symbolic. Nothing about us without us - In projects and fundings targeting minorities and vulnerable groups within women, it is important that members of the target groups are consulted, heard and participate actively. No policies or recommendations promoting equality should be done without proper participation and inclusion. Media and gender portrayal - During the period of the last strategy 2020-2025, gender discrimination was particularly observed in the media with quasi systematic questioning the appearance and self definition of women (this is specifically true for women athletes). Gender identity and transitioning are topics that are met with a high response rate in negative lighting. Besides, the Equal Play Day comes earlier almost every year, unless there is a major women's sport event. The new strategy should include a guideline and coaching for media houses. Moving away from a binary approach to gender equality - The strategy on gender equality 2020-2025 and the report on its implementation are still very binary. Gender based violence takes on a different face when we consider gender more broadly and track the gender based violence in the LGBTQI community. These are unfortunately drastically on the rise in Europe in the last few years. For example, LBTIQ women face specific forms of violence, conversion practices, economic insecurity, and erasure. The new strategy must include targeted measures to change these realities. Strengthen and Structure Data Collection The strategy lacks a clear approach to improving gender equality data, especially in sport where reliable, inclusive data is missing. The sector needs disaggregated data to understand how intersecting factorssuch as gender, SOGIESC, race, disability, or socioeconomic statusinfluence participation, leadership, and experiences of violence or exclusion. For instance, better data would clarify patterns of gender-based violence in sport. All data collection must respect privacy and human rights, and guide inclusive policy-making.
Read full responseResponse to Anti-racism Strategy
7 Jul 2025
Sport must be part of the EU Anti-Racism Strategy Sport is a big part of society. It brings people together, but it is also a place where racism happens. Many people especially those from marginalised groups face discrimination in sport, and this includes both everyday situations and how sport systems are built. The EU Anti-Racism Strategy should clearly include sport as a focus area. Change is needed both in community sport and elite sport. Black women face multiple barriers Black women often face more than one type of discrimination in sport for example racism and sexism at the same time. They are often left out of leadership roles, treated unfairly, or experience abuse or hate without proper support. The strategy should take an intersectional approach and focus on the specific challenges faced by black women who are often excluded in sport. We need education and clear rules in sport To make sport safer and more inclusive, we need proper education for coaches, referees, and leaders about anti-racism, equality, and how to create respectful environments. There should be clear codes of conduct and ways to report racism or discrimination. The EU should support Member States in setting these standards and offering training in all levels of sport. Better data and funding are needed Right now, we dont have enough good data on racism in sport. We need to understand who is participating, who is not, and who is being excluded. More funding should go to community-led projects that fight racism and promote inclusion in sport.
Read full responseMeeting with Glenn Micallef (Commissioner) and
2 Jul 2025 · Introductory meeting
Meeting with Giorgio Guazzugli Marini (Head of Unit Education, Youth, Sport and Culture)
19 May 2025 · ENGSO presenting position on the new MFF
Meeting with Agata Dziarnowska (Cabinet of Commissioner Glenn Micallef)
16 Apr 2025 · Introductory meeting
Meeting with Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and NOVE and
18 Mar 2025 · Stakeholder dialogue on The role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model
Meeting with Sabrina Repp (Member of the European Parliament)
16 Oct 2024 · EU sports legislation
Response to 2022 European Year of Youth – achievements and way forward
14 Apr 2023
ENGSO Youth is the independent youth body of the European Non-governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO). ENGSO Youth focuses on the youth sport-for-all sector in Europe and represents Young Europeans under the age of 35 in sports, in more than 30 countries. We are happy to have contributed with several activities for the EYY2022 as well as having engaged in several other actions organised either by youth stakeholders and/or institutional partners. Amongst the activities, the following shall be highlighted: ENGSO Youth active role within the HealthyLifestyle4All Youth Ideas Labs (and further implementation and follow-up to young people's recommendations within this initiative); ENGSO Youth awareness raising campaign on the importance of mental and physical health and well-being, initiated within ENGSO Youth pledge for the HealhtyLifestyle4All initiative; Implementation of 3 International Activities on Human Rights Education Through Sport; Implementation of the International activity "You(th) for Sustainable Development". One of the central pillars of ENGSO Youth action and mission is to give youth a real say in sport. Youth participation matters and ENGSO Youth is committed to make it meaningful and effective in all aspects of young peoples lives and within policy-making. ENGSO Youth recalls the utmost importance attributed by young people to organised sport and physical activity. This was clear not only within the Final Conference of the EYY2022 (claim the future) but repeated consistently within the several Eurobarometer surveys held since 2001 on the topic of youth participation, which systematically show that sports clubs are one of the preferred spaces for young peoples participation. In this regard, ENGSO Youth calls for an increased recognition of sport and physical activity importance on Young People's lives, but also across policy areas, as crucial driver for physical and mental health and well-being, as well as for social inclusion, intergenerational dialogue and promotion of European values, such as respect for Human Rights, tolerance, freedom, democracy, equality, non-discrimination and solidarity. As such, we consider that the continuation of the HealthyLifestyle4All Youth Ideas Labs post-2023 and the inclusion of ENGSO Youth in relevant policy dialogues with Commissioners are important steps in ensuring a sustained and inclusive legacy for the European Year of Youth. Lastly, we are happy to inform that ENGSO Youth will also contribute to the legacy of the EYY2022, particularly by launching for that matter the first ever European Youth and Sport Platform, which will be ENGSO Youth flagship event happening every 2 years and gathering hundreds of young people to develop youth and sport sector in Europe.
Read full responseResponse to A comprehensive approach to mental health
13 Feb 2023
ENGSO, the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation, advocates and leads by example for empowered grassroots sport within EU sport policy and raises awareness on the societal role of sport. One of our main focus lies on promotion of health-enhancing physical activity. When it comes to health our aim is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for youth and the general population within the grassroots sport sector. Thus, with regards to mental health and well-being we have proven work, created and implemented through our projects, actions and initiatives, such as: ENGSO SPIRIT project (Sport & Psycho-social Initiative for Inclusive Training) was set up in cooperation with several partners to develop a framework for humane, inclusive and empowering coaching and sport clubs that nurture mental well-being. The project developed an online training course and a set of recommendations that advance the mental well-being of sports participants. Further complementing the above-mentioned SPIRIT project, ENGSO Youth started the HOORAY project (Youth Supporting Youth's Mental Health Through Physical Activity) which is focusing on the development of an online evidence-based resource for adolescents significant others (e.g., physical education teachers, youth workers, coaches and parents) on the usage of physical activity and sport for the promotion of positive mental health and mitigation of mental illness. This project will align with the salutogenic approach by investigating how physical activity may promote mental health and well-being of adolescents between 13 and 19 years of age. Additionally, within the framework of the European Commission's initiative "HealthyLifestyles4All" both ENGSO and ENGSO Youth signed two pledges specifically targeting the importance of mental and physical health-enhancing sport activities for the society. Our #StrongerWithSport campaign, where ENGSO Youth developed a set of daily challenges for November is just one of the products of these pledges. The above-mentioned actions are just the continuation of a longstanding work on mental health, which also includes a position paper on mental health and youth sport and an educational toolkit for sports federations. Evidence suggests that regular physical activity improves mental health, overall well-being and can reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. Organised sport and physical activity in groups provide a space for young people and adults to socially connect with others and enhance mental health and well-being of young people with fewer opportunities and from disadvantageous backgrounds (being the preferred space for youth participation in the society - Flash Eurobarometer 502 Youth and Democracy in the European Year of Youth). Sport and specifically sport coaching is of utmost importance when promoting mental health and well-being. Numerous studies as well as practical examples from sport clubs have underlined the strong connection between sport and mental well-being. Holistically equipped/educated coaches are the key to unlocking the benefits that sport can have on mental well-being. Sport and physical activity act preventively, strengthening peoples resilience to mental and physical stress, therefore reducing the burden on healthcare systems and the public expenditure addressing healthcare problems that could be prevented by an active population. On the other hand, sport and physical activity are crucial to help tackle mental distress. Consequently, ENGSO/ENGSO Youth call for sport, health-enhancing physical activity, and its providers such as sport clubs to be widely recognised and supported, both at EU and National level, and across sectors, as crucial determinants in addressing and improving the mental health of our population.
Read full responseMeeting with Mariya Gabriel (Commissioner)
13 Apr 2021 · Cooperation between the European Commission and the civil society of sport
Meeting with Szabolcs Horvath (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics), Szabolcs Horvath (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics)
10 Feb 2017 · Sport policy