EU sport policy according to neofunctionalists

This study examines how neofunctionalism provides for the Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice, an explanation for the foundation of the Erasmus + Sport Programme. This research demonstrates how neofunctionalists explain the foundation of sport as a European competence, by using the Erasmus+ Sport Programme as case study. In this study the following neofunctionalist concepts will be used: political spillover, cultivated spillover, functional spillover and spillback (EB Haas & Schmitter, 1964; Schmitter, 1970). Each in their own specific way, the different spillover concepts try to explain why European cooperation arises in a sport programme. By making use of two qualitative research methods, i.e. a qualitative elite interview in combination with a document analysis, this study investigates which neofunctionalist motives each European actor used in the foundation of the programme. The foundation of the Erasmus + Sport Programme itself can be explained by three neofunctionalist concepts. Before the Lisbon Treaty, the foundation of the programme can be defined by a cultivated spillover, with strong neofunctionalist motives of the European Commission. The Commission used all its tactical instruments in the starting point of sport cooperation. After the Lisbon Treaty, the foundation of the programme can be defined by a political spillover, with strong neofunctionalist motives of the Council. The programme was forced by making a package deal. Nevertheless, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice evoked a functional spillover as a tactical instrument to foster political action of the European Commission. Sport cooperation was needed to fulfill other policy objectives. According to neofunctionalists, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and the European Court of Justice have each played a significant role in the development of the Erasmus+ Sport Programme.