European Team Sports Association (ETS) Is Born

The major European team sports today formed their own team - by creating an association to promote, develop and represent the interests of European team sport. The association will also further increase the information exchange that has taken place informally over recent years.

Furthermore, the European Team Sports of basketball (FIBA Europe), handball (EHF), football (UEFA), ice hockey (IIHF), rugby (FIRA-AER) and volleyball (CEV) have issued the following joint statement today with respect to the EU Lisbon Treaty which recently came into force and, in particular, Article 165 that recognises, inter alia, the "specific nature of sport".

"The European Team Sports express their satisfaction with the newly recognised status of sport in the Lisbon Treaty. As responsible, professional, democratic and representative European partners, the European Team Sports also express their desire to work in partnership together with their direct institutional counterparts, namely the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, in order to shape a healthy future for European sport.

"As regards EU law and sport, the European Team Sports support the view that the specific nature of sport should be fully acknowledged by all European institutions."

Press release: FIBA Europe