ESSEPA promoted at EU Sport Forum 2026 in Paphos

The EU Sport Forum 2026, organised by the European Commission, took place in Paphos, Cyprus on 15-16 April. The annual forum functions as a key platform for dialogue between European institutions, sport organisations, and stakeholders, addressing major policy areas such as governance, inclusion, athlete wellbeing, and the development of sport across Europe.

Within this broader setting, the European University Sports Association (EUSA) , the European Fair Play Movement, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), partners of the ESSEPA project, participated actively in the event, using the opportunity to engage with European partners and institutions involved in university sport development.

During the EU Sport Forum, ESSEPA was promoted as one of EUSA’s EU Co-funded initiatives, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve safeguarding standards and embed safer practices within university sport structures. Its presentation contributed to wider informal exchanges on integrity, responsibility, and athlete protection in European sport.

The forum programme itself gathered policymakers, experts, and sport representatives to discuss key priorities such as the European Sport Model, mental health, gender equality, and active lifestyles. In this context, EUSA’s engagement and promotion of ESSEPA reinforced the organisation’s role in contributing to European-level projects focused on safeguarding and sport development.

Hosted in cooperation with the Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, the EU Sport Forum 2026 once again provided a space for networking and policy dialogue across the European sport sector. EUSA’s participation, and the presentation of ESSEPA in particular, underlined the growing importance of safeguarding-focused initiatives within university sport and their relevance to broader European sport policy discussions.