The Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP) is developing institutional initiatives with Portuguese MEPs and European partners with the aim of ensuring greater support for sport in the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028-2034. The action takes place within the scope of ongoing negotiations on the future European budget structure and is coordinated with the representation of the European Olympic Committees in community institutions.
In contacts made in recent weeks, the COP highlighted the need to ensure sufficient funding opportunities for grassroots sports federations and clubs through the Erasmus+ programconsidering that these structures play an important role in achieving European political and social objectives, particularly in the areas of health, inclusion and social cohesion.
The organization also warns of the risk of sport losing relative weight in the future European budget, despite the sector’s recognized contribution to the European Union’s strategic priorities. In 2026, 3162 applications were submitted for funding in the area of sport, a record number and the fourth consecutive year of growth, far exceeding available resources.
Among the proposals defended by the COP are the allocating at least 5% of the Erasmus+ budget to sport, reinforcing investment in large-scale sporting events, supporting volunteering in the sector and expanding the European mobility program in sport to include athletes.
The president of the COP, Fernando Gomes, stated that the organization will continue to monitor the process of defining the next European financial framework in conjunction with international partners, arguing that the community budget reflects more clearly the social impact of sport and its importance for the development of communities.
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