The European Sport Safeguarding Education and Promotion Action (ESSEPA) project, co-funded by the European Union and led by the EUSA Institute, has officially published its first major deliverable: the Research Report on Safeguarding Policies. This comprehensive report maps out existing legal frameworks and practices to lay an evidence-based foundation for a safer university sport environment across Europe.

The desk research conducted by the project consortium revealed a highly varied approach to safeguarding across partner countries. Key findings:
- National variations: Some nations address safeguarding through broad youth protection or general sport governance laws, while others utilize specific sport-integrity frameworks and roadmaps.
- University sport gaps: Safeguarding in university sports remains fragmented, often relying on general university disciplinary codes rather than integrated, sport-specific models.
- Critical areas unaddressed: The report highlights a widespread lack of dedicated safeguarding policies and appointed officers. Furthermore, while immediate competition settings are generally regulated, off-field contexts such as travel and overnight stays remain mostly uncovered.

To bridge the gaps, the report outlines a clear path forward for the EUSA safeguarding framework. Key recommendations include introducing common minimum safeguarding standards, implementing mandatory training for all participants, and ensuring each delegation appoints a dedicated safeguarding contact person. Building directly on these initial research findings, the project's next milestone will be the publication of the survey analysis report at the end of June.

The ESSEPA safeguarding survey is still open, but for just a few more days! We warmly invite all student-athletes, coaches, referees, event staff and university administrators to take a few minutes to contribute. Your firsthand experiences are vital to recognizing daily realities and helping us shape a safer, more ethical sporting environment across Europe. Don't miss your chance to make a difference - complete the safeguarding survey in university sport!

For more details, you can download the full ESSEPA Research Report on Safeguarding Policies and visit the official project website at https://essepa.eusa.eu.

ESSEPA is co-funded by the European Union. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).