Europe Active

Full Partner

EuropeActive is the leading not-for-profit organisation representing the European health and fitness sector that serves over 52 million consumers, it generates 26.7 billion Euro in revenues, employs over 650,000 people, and consists of 51,200 facilities. According to Deloitte the fitness sector is growing at 3-4% per year and fitness is the largest participation sport (Special Eurobarometer, 2014). Alongside its significant economic contribution, the sector has a major role to play in making a more active and healthy Europe, and in coordinating actions and key stakeholders across the continent. EuropeActive currently represents approximately 22,000 facilities and has 21 national associations with a membership spread across 30 countries in Europe. Membership is open to all stakeholders – public or private which includes operators, suppliers, national associations, training providers, higher education, and accreditation institutions.

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EuropeActive can trace its past to 1995 with the establishment of the European Network of Fitness Associations, and from 2001-2014 as the European Health and Fitness Association (EHFA) and then to EuropeActive. From 2007 it has been permanently based in Brussels, and was a founding member of the House of Sport in 2015. EuropeActive was one of the first members of the Advisory Board for the European Week of Sport.

Between 2004-2008 EHFA was involved with 2 EU funded actions which helped to develop the concept of pan-European fitness qualifications and to apply and test the principles of ECVET. From 2008 EHFA established its Standards Council as an independently-funded body to oversee the development of occupational standards for the fitness sector, the accreditation of vocational and education training companies, and establishing the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPS www.ereps.eu).

As the standards-setting body for the health and fitness sector EuropeActive promotes best practice in instruction and training, with the ultimate objective to raise the quality of service and the customer’s exercise experience and their personal results. It has developed a comprehensive sector qualification framework, and it has now completed accreditation with over 150 VET providers and universities and EREPS has nearly 36,000 registered fitness trainers in 32 different European countries. Through EREPS it is possible to track very high levels of mobility amongst fitness professionals with up to 10% changing their country of work each year. EuropeActive also coordinates the annual International Standards Meeting (ISM), now in its 8^th year, which brings together educational experts from across Europe and around the world to promote cooperation, innovation and professional standards for the fitness sector.

Key Activities:

• Knowledge sharing
• Standards
• Ereps – European register for exercise professionals
• Events
• EU representation

Size of the organisation:

• 160 members
• The team consists of 7 full-time, 4 part-time people and one trainee with a 50:50 gender balance.

https://www.europeactive.eu/