The Sporting Exception in European Union Law

The Sporting Exception in European Union Law is the definitive account of EU sports law. It provides a modern legal framework based on an analysis of major European Court of Justice judgments including Walrave (1974), Donà (1976), Bosman (1995), Deliège (2000), Lehtonen (2000), Kolpak (2003), Piau (2005) and Meca-Medina (2006). It also provides advanced commentary on the major sports-related competition decisions of the European Commission. Broadcasting issues, rules affecting player mobility and issues of sports governance are analysed, as are current issues in EU sports law including the Oulmers case, home-grown players, players' agents, the Services Directive, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, the 2006 Independent European Sports Review, the 2007 Commission White Paper on Sport, the Reform Treaty and prospects for social dialogue. The work is a resource for academics, lawyers and sports administrators and students of sports law and EU law programmes. • Rigorously interrogates claims that sport is special and examines the intellectual basis for these claims • Covers all the major sports cases of the European Court of Justice and Commission, thereby providing readers with an overview of current thinking on EU free-movement and competition law • Explains how specificity of sport arguments can be accommodated in EU free movement and competition law

1. Is sport special?; 2. EU sports policy; 3. EU free movement law and sport; 4. The sporting exception: form and substance; 5. EU Competition law and sport; 6. Sports broadcasting in EU law; 7. The European labour market for professional players; 8. Legal issues in the governance of sport; Conclusions.