Football is about far more than the game itself. The European Commission and UEFA have renewed their long-standing cooperation, committing to use football’s reach to get more people moving, promote healthier lifestyles and make sport more inclusive – with benefits that go well beyond the pitch.
European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin signed a renewed Arrangement for Cooperation between the European Commission and UEFA on 9 November 2026.
The European Commission and UEFA have maintained a long-standing and constructive dialogue since agreeing on their first Arrangement for Cooperation in 2014, followed by further arrangements in 2018 and 2022. Their latest, fourth arrangement extends this cooperation until the end of 2029.
The arrangement aims to
- support and promote EU values through the power of football
- protect and strengthen the key features of the European Sport Moder
- support European football as a major European success story
- safeguard football’s structures and heritage while reinforcing its competitiveness; and sustainability through inclusive stakeholder governance.
The partnership also promotes common EU and societal priorities, including social and environmental sustainability, health and well-being, equality, social inclusion and international development cooperation.
The renewed agreement goes beyond professional football, setting out a broader agenda that connects sport with public health, equality, social inclusion and sustainability. By promoting active lifestyles for all and strengthening the social role of football, the Commission and UEFA aim to use the game’s influence to support wider societal goals.
The partnership builds on productive cooperation in areas such as
- promoting physical activity
- preventing violence
- protecting minors
- combating racial discrimination
- increasing women’s participation in sport
- promoting good governance and financial fair play.
It also addresses the legacy and sustainability of major sporting events.
UEFA has contributed to the European Week of Sport and to expert groups under the EU Work Plan for Sport. It has also supported the participation of national football associations in Erasmus+ Sport and Preparatory Actions calls for proposals.
Through structured dialogue, the Commission and UEFA have examined issues including
- the governance of European football
- financial fair play
- sustainability and solidarity
- sports betting and match-fixing
- violence in sport
- the role of players’ agents and
- the protection of young players.
This cooperation has helped align UEFA’s practices more closely with EU policy objectives in several areas.
Football plays a significant role in European society, both at elite and grassroots levels. In this context the renewed partnership provides an important framework to advance shared EU policy objectives and to promote the social and educational value of sport.
