EPAS - Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport, a body of the Council of Europe (COE), held its 20th meeting of the Governing Board and a joint plenary meeting with the EPAS Consultative Committee in Strasbourg on May 27 and 28, 2026. The annual gathering provided a comprehensive platform to review European sports policies, upcoming strategic objectives, and multi-lateral cooperation across member states and sports organisations.

The meeting officially commenced on Wednesday, May 27, with a joint session that brought together the Governing Board, the Consultative Committee, and Youth delegates. A central topic of the morning session was the implementation of a youth perspective in sport, alongside preparations for the upcoming 19th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, which will be hosted in Monaco in November 2026.

In the afternoon, parallel in-camera sessions of the Governing Board and the Consultative Committee took place. During these sessions, statutory and budgetary updates were presented, covering ordinary and special accounts, alongside updates regarding the Consultative Committee renewals, new memberships, and a key policy debate on promoting good governance in sports organisations. The Consultative Committee also elected its Bureau for a 2-year mandate. Charlotte Girard Fabre, representing the International Federation of Sport Officials (IFSO), was re-elected as the Chair, while Patrik Perosa, representing the International Dance Organization (IDO), was elected Vice-Chair. They are joined by Bureau members Annamarie Phelps from the European Olympic Committees (EOC), Guido Battaglia from the Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR), James Ogilvie from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and Marie Denitton from the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO).

On Thursday, May 28, the joint plenary meeting resumed to examine the draft Activity Report 2025 and to hear updates from various Council of Europe bodies, including the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, and the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (CINGOs). A core focus of the day was the implementation of the EPAS Strategy 2026-2027 and the future Programme of activities for 2027. Participants also evaluated the progress of the European Sports Charter (ESC) support and follow-up visits. The extensive agenda covered critical work under the pillars of ethical, inclusive, and safe sport. Discussions addressed solidarity with Ukraine, updates on key Sport Conventions (Anti-doping, Macolin, and Saint-Denis), the Network of Magistrates / Prosecutors Responsible for Sports (MARS), and anti-corruption initiatives such as the Database on Alleged Cases of Corruption in Sport (DACCS) and the International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS).

In terms of inclusive and safe sport, delegates reviewed the follow-up of the 2025 Diversity Conference and discussed orientations for the 2027 edition. Other key subjects included reporting on activities including a roundtable on women and girls' participation in sport, protecting the human rights of transgender and intersex athletes, the inclusion of child migrants and refugees, and updates on safe sport tools like the Start to Talk initiative and the Pool of International Experts on Safe Sport. The meeting wrapped up with presentations on modern challenges, including artificial intelligence, social sustainability in sport facilities, and educational tools like the HELP online course on Sport and Human Rights. Furthermore, cooperation with the European Union was highlighted through updates on EU-COE Joint Projects. These included the concluded results of Balance S4, the Sport For All project, and the newly launched Active and Equal project, which spans from January 2026 to December 2027.

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe provides a crucial platform for intergovernmental sports co-operation, fostering dialogue between public authorities, sports federations, and non-governmental organisations to ensure sport becomes more ethical, inclusive, and safer. The European University Sports Association (EUSA) is an active member of the EPAS Consultative Committee and continues to support intergovernmental sports cooperation and policy development across Europe. EUSA was represented at the meeting by its Director of Projects and Policy Andrej Pisl.

For more information on EPAS, please see https://www.coe.int/en/web/sport/epas
Photos @ Council of Europe