Networking at the 2026 EU Sport Forum in Cyprus

Also in attendance were Education Coordinator Oskar Rosa and Piotr Poplawski.

The annual EU Sport Forum is the European Commission’s flagship event for shaping the future of sport at European level.
It is a unique platform for dialogue and collaboration among a broad range of stakeholders active within the sporting community.
The Forum provides a valuable opportunity to reflect together on the current trends, challenges and priorities shaping sport in Europe.

Interesting panel discussions, key topics including more women discussing for women’s sport. A beach volleyball tournament, which briefly switched to Catch’n Serve, and a wonderful gala dinner.

Due to the war situation and a pilots’ strike, not everyone was able to attend.

This made it possible to hold more in-depth discussions with, among others: Dr Georg Häusler, Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport at the European Commission (DG EAC); Luciano di Fonzo, Deputy Head of the Erasmus Mundus and Sport Unit at the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA); the Lebanese Minister for Youth and Sport, Dr Nora Bayrakdarian; and even Glenn Micallef, the host and European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.

What’s more, we already knew each other from the previous year. A fantastic event organised by the EU Presidency!

The 2026 edition brought together representatives from European institutions, national ministries responsible for sport, European and international sports federations, Olympic committees, grassroots organisations, athletes, coaches and volunteers.

It covered a variety of topics, including

• mental health in sport: pressure and resilience
• removing barriers to women’s sporting success
• integrity and investment in European sport
• sport in the Mediterranean region
• boosting solidarity and competitive balance in sport