Corporatism and pluralism in European sport interest representation

Abstract

Interest representation plays a significant role in policy-initiation and policy-making in the European Union (EU). Whether of corporatist or pluralist pattern, European interest activity is evident in all stages of European policy-making. A plethora of organized interests exist in the framework of European institutions with the aim of influencing European officials in the formation of European policy on their behalf. The diversity of interests with a stake at European sport is large. This article examines the emergence and activity of sport-related interest groups in the EU framework in terms of corporatist and pluralist representation. Following European institutional mobilization in the field of sport, various traditional and newly emerged organized sport interests have gained access to the EU policy-making mechanism and perform a variety of lobbying activities. The article argues that in the case of sport-related European policy-making, pluralism and corporatism coexist as patterns of interest representation.