歐洲運動文化源遠流長，歐洲國家與歐洲各運動組織多為國際運動競賽的主辦國家及地區。運動所帶來的效益不但可以促進其社會功能，例如：社會凝聚力或公民之健康等等；也可以帶來經濟層面上的發展，例如：創造就業機會。運動在社會教育上扮演著重要的角色，因此歐盟及其會員國重視相關運動議題的政策立法。 隨著運動在歐洲各國的發展，運動也成為了歐盟政策制定的新的領域。儘管歐盟法條約並沒有針對運動的直接性規範，會員國享有運動領域的職權，但歐盟可以透過官方之宣言、報告書與文件、歐盟執委會之決定與歐洲法院的判決，發展出一套運動政策。在里斯本條約後通過後，運動領域被納入支持、補充措施的職權，為實現共同市場之目標，歐盟可以支持、補充會員國在此領域的權限。當運動朝向商業化發展，就應當屬於歐盟法範圍內的經濟活動，尤其是運動規定涉及運動員自由流通、競爭法等議題，屬於歐盟競合權限與專屬權限，必須受到歐盟法關於內部市場自由流通與自由競爭原則的規範。歐盟之運動政策，將影響相關運動組織決策，以及會員國家的政策發展。 European sport culture runs a long history and many major sporting events are held by European countries and international sport organizations. Sport not only plays an important role in societal role such as social education, public health and social incursion, but also prompts the economic development, for example, the creation of employment opportunity. Therefore, the policies and legislation of sport related issues have been considerably concerned by European Union(EU) and its member states. Accompanying the development of sport in European countries, sport has become the new field of policy making in EU. However, due to the lack of specific legal basis, EU''s approach to sport has been shaped to a great content through the release of Declaration, by adopting documents and reports as well as the decisions of European commission and the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, sport is anchored for the first time in the EU Treaty. For the achievement of the objectives referred to sports, EU shall support and supplement their actions of member states. Moreover, the sporting sector is subject to the rules of the EU law when it constitutes economic activities, especially involving the legal scope of the right to free movements and competition law, which belong to EU''s shared competence and exclusive competence. Thus, the sport policy in the EU has impacts on member states of EU and the sporting rules of related international sporting organizations.
