The making of sports law: From political project to standard

In an interview conducted by Frédérique Roux and François Mandin in Paris on March 14, 2024, Marie-George Buffet, former minister of sports, outlines her vision of sports law. She observes that the lack of political debate on sports, despite their social and economic importance, is reflected in the absence of a comprehensive framework law since 2003. Since then, laws have been passed in a piecemeal fashion. The lack of government support renders them ineffective or even non-functional. The absence of regular evaluations of the expected effects of the laws exacerbates this ineffectiveness. Among her proposals, several avenues stand out: the reinstatement of a comprehensive framework law on sports after the 2024 Olympic Games; the initiation of a debate on the values of sports (equality, transparency, ethics); the creation of spaces for dialogue between policymakers, civil society, and academics; and a systematic evaluation of laws two years after their entry into force.