Towards Horizon 2025

EuropeActive launched new certification scheme for fitness clubs!

We are delighted to announce that we have successfully launched, in cooperation with the Netherlands National Standards Organisation (NEN), a new club certification scheme known as FITcert.eu.

This 5-stage scheme, one of the most important decisions ever taken by the European fitness sector, is the culmination of many technical experts working under the European Standards Organisation CEN direction to develop standards for clubs covering operations, management, customer service, supervision and fitness trainer qualifications.

More than 450 clubs have already registered their interest for the trial phase!

Click here for more information.

Results from largest survey of recreational athletes’ doping habits released

Results from largest survey ever conducted into the doping practices of recreational athletes in Europe confidently showed that 91% of athletes did not take a banned substance to improve their performance, whilst less than 0.5% positively replied that they did use a banned substance. These results revealed that the prevalence in the use of banned substances is lower than had previously been thought.

Click here for more information.

The Association of Austrian Sports and Leisure Enterprises joins EuropeActive as a new National Association member

We are thrilled to announce that the Association of Austrian Sports and Leisure Enterprises have joined the organisation with the aim of working together to provide the sector with a strong, unified voice to promote and protect its interests at the national level.

CEO Bernhard Gerstberger said: “As representation of interests of the commercial fitness industry in Austria, we are pleased to finally be a member of EuropeActive. We are very much looking forward to intensify the exchange between the individual member countries and to work together towards our goal of getting more people moving”.

EuropeActive President David Stalker commented: “I am absolutely thrilled with the continuous growth of the EuropeActive community of national association partners. Today I have the pleasure of welcoming the Association of Austrian Sports and Leisure Enterprises and I look very much forward to start collaborating closely with them to promote the interests of our sector at all levels”. 

What are the current restrictions in your country? – An overview of European Fitness Club Restrictions

We continue to update our interactive map to provide the latest information on fitness club openings and restrictions across Europe to keep our members, stakeholders and supporters informed on what is happening in the fitness and physical activity sector.

Please note information displayed may change subject to further Covid-19 updates.

To access the map for further details, click here.

The President’s Voice

“We are extremely proud after we successfully managed to organise our hybrid European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF) in such unpredictable circumstances. Our European Fitness Associations Forum (EFAF) and the International Standards Meeting (ISM) also took place so I would like to thank all speakers and participants for making these events the best networking opportunity of the European fitness and physical activity sector. 

We are also very excited about the launch of FITcert.eu, the new certification scheme for fitness clubs to help the industry better define itself and to build confidence with our millions of users, governments, and health professionals. All club operators who meet our assessment criteria will be able to promote themselves through a charter mark of excellence and good practice. 

EHFF 2021 – ‘The Great Transformation’

On Wednesday 3rd November, we hosted our 8th annual European Health and Fitness Forum (EHFF) to discuss the current situation for our sector in the areas of Health, Digital, Community and Standards, as well as to identify potential opportunities moving forward. The event was live-streamed globally from Cologne, Germany, with an audience of industry leaders and experts on-site.

For more information, click here.

Educational Services

On Friday 5th November, we virtually hosted the 12th annual International Standards Meeting (ISM), the European flagship event for training providers, employers, practitioners and other key stakeholders involved in training and education.

Under the theme of ‘Transforming the fitness industry through Standards’, speakers and panelists explored how upskilling our industry’s workforce and the use of digital technology can significantly impact the evolution and growth of the fitness and physical activity sector.

For more information, click here.

EU & Public Affairs

The European Parliament adopts report on “EU sports policy: assessment and possible ways forward”

Projects & Programmes

5th FORUM for Anti-Doping in Recreational Sport