Who’s Running the Play? The Role of the European Union in Sports Regulations

This chapter explores the European Union's (EU) pivotal role in shaping the legal framework in which sport develops in the EU, emphasising its influential position despite lacking legislative authority before the 2009 Lisbon Treaty. It delves into how the EU's normative and market power, coupled with internal market rules, influenced sports, challenging governing bodies’ initial reluctance to external interference. Additionally, it demonstrates the EU institution's current approach in securing a level of regulatory autonomy for sports institutions, allowing reasonable restrictions on rights protected by internal market rules for legitimate objectives. Analysing EU Court of Justice case law and decision-making practices, the chapter reveals that this regulatory autonomy is conditional on adherence to principles of good governance and internal market rules.