What the European Parliament Resolved

On 7 October 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model, subsequently published in the Official Journal as C/2026/1521. The resolution calls on EU institutions and Member States to protect and promote the fundamental rights of athletes and other workers in the sports sector.

The listed protections are specific: freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, non-discrimination, decent working conditions, occupational health and safety measures, and protections relating to pregnancy and maternity leave. The resolution also urges sports organisations to comply with EU law — particularly in relation to labour and competition rules — and calls for stronger protections at the grassroots level, where most fitness and sports-education workers actually operate.

What It Does and Does Not Do

This is a political resolution, not a binding labour directive. It does not create a new collective-bargaining entitlement, impose obligations on employers, or establish enforceable rights that professionals can invoke directly before a national court or labour tribunal.

What it does is establish a formal institutional position. When the European Parliament adopts a resolution on workers' rights, it signals to the European Commission and national governments where political momentum is building. For sectors like fitness — where many instructors and coaches work under freelance contracts, part-time arrangements, or through local associations rather than formal employment structures — that signal carries practical weight over the medium term.

The resolution is also notable for its explicit inclusion of 'other workers in the sports sector' alongside athletes. That framing extends the Parliament's concern beyond elite sport and professional clubs to the broader ecosystem of coaches, sports educators, community fitness workers and similar roles.

ILO Guidance Reinforces the Direction of Travel

A parallel development at international level adds weight to the resolution. Draft guidance prepared for a 2026 International Labour Organization sectoral process addresses labour rights in sport directly, recommending that sports workers — including those outside elite competition — should enjoy freedom of association, effective recognition of collective bargaining rights, and protection against anti-union discrimination. The ILO material also encourages governments to support worker and employer organisations in the sport sector and to promote voluntary negotiations between them.

The ILO guidance does not carry binding force in EU Member States and is primarily framed around athletes rather than commercial fitness employees. Its significance lies in providing an authoritative international labour-policy reference point that national governments and social partners can draw on when designing sector-specific frameworks.

Why This Is Relevant to Fitness Professionals and Employers

Most fitness and wellness workers in Europe are not covered by sector-specific collective agreements. Many operate as self-employed or on short-term contracts with limited access to union representation or structured wage negotiation. The Parliament's resolution does not change that immediately, but it creates a reference document that trade unions, professional associations and national regulators can use to argue for expanded coverage.

For fitness facilities and private training providers, the practical implication is forward-looking: the regulatory direction at EU level is toward treating sports and fitness workers as a category deserving the same labour-rights infrastructure available to workers in other sectors. Employers who rely heavily on precarious or informal contracting arrangements should monitor how Member States respond to the resolution over the coming legislative cycle.

What Training Schools and Accreditation Bodies Should Watch

Training institutions preparing fitness professionals for work across the EU's 27 Member States should note that labour-rights protections and qualification recognition are increasingly linked in EU policy discussions. The fifth EU Work Plan for Sport (2024–2027) already includes an Open Method of Coordination group dedicated to promoting athletes' rights within good governance frameworks — a process that runs alongside, and may eventually intersect with, qualification and accreditation standards.

Schools seeking or maintaining accreditation should ensure their curriculum addresses employment rights, professional status and sector-specific labour norms — not only technical competencies. As institutional pressure builds for clearer employment frameworks in the sports sector, graduates who understand their professional rights and obligations will be better positioned in an evolving market.

Key Reference

• Resolution: European Parliament, 7 October 2025, C/2026/1521 — role of EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model

• Status: Non-binding; addressed to EU institutions and Member States

• Scope: Athletes and other workers in the sports sector, including grassroots and community-level roles