European Association of Sport Employers
Several European organisations from the sport and active leisure sector decided to come together to address social affairs linked to business issues at the European level. To do so in a structured way, they founded the European Association of Sport Employers (EASE) in 2003. The main goal is to build a unique sectoral social dialogue committee for all sports.
Three main segments of the sport and active leisure sector can be distinguished:
- not-for-profit sport
- professional sport
- active leisure
Sports Employers guide
Leaflet concerning the Sport Employers’ guide to social dialogue. To read or download, click here.
Our news
EASE in Greece: From Inclusion in Thessaloniki to Strategic Meetings in Athens
In May 2026, EASE travelled to Greece for a series of exchanges dedicated to inclusion, grassroots [...]
EASE in Cyprus: Strengthening European Dialogue and Building Bridges with the Cypriot Sport Sector
In April 2026, EASE travelled to Cyprus for a series of strategic meetings and exchanges held [...]
EASE Board Meeting: Projects, Governance and Key European Discussions on Social Dialogue and Pay Transparency
On Tuesday 7 April 2026, EASE held its latest Board Meeting, bringing together its members, partners, [...]
Not for Profit
Not-for-profit sport is the traditional part of the sector and is still the most important one. It gathers not-for-profit organisations (mainly associations), which provide training and competitive sporting activities to their members. Essentially run by volunteers, it is nevertheless experiencing increasing professionalization of its human resources.
Active leisure
Active leisure represents a growing area in the sport and active leisure sector. It is organised either by associations or by companies, often very small, which offer services and leisure opportunities but do not offer training for competition (e.g. fitness, horse riding, sailing, winter sports…).
Professional sport
Professional sport is orientated essentially towards putting on events, within which professional football occupies a dominant position in Europe, ahead of other sports. Professional sport has highly visibility because of its media coverage and the high degree of internationalisation of its human resources.
Join EASE?
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS ON-GOING PROCESS AND JOIN US !
Today, employers have their say in the sport and active leisure sector at the European level through EASE and have an important part to play in the building of an effective employer network across the European Union. Read more.