European Union, public expenditure, sport, sport policy

Sport is a socio-economic phenomenon that contributes to the fulfilment of strategic goals with regard to solidarity and prosperity, defined by the European Union. Given the diversity and complexity of European sport structures, a single European model of sport can not be defined. The paper aims to evaluate sport policy and sport financing in the EU with a focus on public expenditures and sporting and recreational services. In particular, general government expenditures on recreational and sporting services in the EU countries in the period 2010-2017 are analysed. Correlation analysis is used to test mutual relationships of general government expenditures on sporting and recreational services with selected socio-economic indicators. The results have confirmed a weak correlation between the allocated public expenditures on sporting and recreational services and the socio-economic indicators. In contrast, a strong correlation was found between the employment in sport and human development index or GDP per capita.

Sport is a socio-economic phenomenon that contributes to the fulfilment of strategic goals with regard to solidarity and prosperity, defined by the European Union. Given the diversity and complexity of European sport structures, a single European model of sport can not be defined. The paper aims to evaluate sport policy and sport financing in the EU with a focus on public expenditures and sporting and recreational services. In particular, general government expenditures on recreational and sporting services in the EU countries in the period 2010-2017 are analysed. Correlation analysis is used to test mutual relationships of general government expenditures on sporting and recreational services with selected socio-economic indicators. The results have confirmed a weak correlation between the allocated public expenditures on sporting and recreational services and the socio-economic indicators. In contrast, a strong correlation was found between the employment in sport and human development index or GDP per capita.