European Paralympic Committee brings together Para sport community for Policy and Development Hubs

The European Paralympic Committee, as part of its Erasmus+ supported European Para Youth Games (EPYG) Legacy Initiative, is bringing together National Paralympic Committees, international sport federations, NGOs and policy-makers for three days of collaboration in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 3-5 June. 

The Policy and Development Hubs mark the next major milestone in the EPYG Legacy Initiative, following the Discovery Programme during the Istanbul 2025 European Para Youth Games and the Para School Programme workshops delivered in Türkiye earlier this year.

Across the three days, representatives from across the European Para sport community will work together to strengthen the long-term foundations for inclusive sport. The programme will focus on rights and governance, sport and pedagogy, inclusion initiatives and funding, empowerment, dual careers, and policy alignment across European frameworks.

The Hubs are designed to move beyond discussion and towards practical outputs. Through expert presentations, working groups and collaborative workshops, participants will contribute to the development of tools and policy resources intended to support National Paralympic Committees, sport organisations, public authorities and wider stakeholders in expanding access to Para sport across Europe.

The Hubs will contribute to the EPYG Legacy Initiative’s wider policy outputs by bringing together input towards a National Para Sports Development Framework and an Inclusive Sports Policy Recommendations Paper. These outputs are intended to support long-term policy alignment, strengthen national Para sport development structures, and promote more sustainable approaches to inclusion through sport across Europe.

The event will open on 3 June with a focus on Law and Governance, exploring legal protection, ethical standards, transparent classification, safeguarding and the fundamental right to Para sport. The same day will also include the Sport and Pedagogy Hub, looking at inclusive physical education, digital tools in coaching, accessible strength training and learner-centred approaches for athletes with disabilities.

On 4 June, the Inclusion Initiatives and Funding Hub will examine successful inclusion models, EU opportunities and approaches to diversifying funding sources. The programme will also include a sport activity and a Legacy Dinner, supporting informal exchange and relationship-building between stakeholders.

The final day, 5 June, will focus on empowerment, dual careers and inclusive employment, before concluding with the Inclusion Policies in the EU Hub. This session will explore institutional alignment, policy coherence and the role of European and national frameworks in ensuring that inclusion through sport becomes a sustained policy priority.

Raymon Blondel, European Paralympic Committee President, said:

“The Policy and Development Hubs are about creating the conditions for Para sport to grow sustainably across Europe. If we want more young people with disabilities to access sport, we need strong education systems, clear athlete pathways, ethical governance, committed institutions and long-term funding structures.

“The EPYG Legacy Initiative is helping the European Paralympic Committee and its Members turn the momentum of the European Para Youth Games into practical tools, stronger partnerships and policy action. These Hubs bring together the people and organisations who can help ensure that inclusion through sport is not limited to one event or one country, but becomes part of the way sport is planned, funded and delivered across Europe.”

Murat Aksu, President of the Türkiye National Paralympic Committee, said:

Türkiye is proud to continue supporting the EPYG Legacy Initiative and to welcome the Para sport community back to Istanbul. Following the Para School workshops held in Türkiye earlier this year, which focused on strengthening inclusive physical education and school-based access to Para sport, the Policy and Development Hubs provide another important opportunity to turn the momentum of the European Para Youth Games into lasting change for athletes, schools, communities and institutions.”

The Policy and Development Hubs form one of the four pillars of the EPYG Legacy Initiative, alongside the Discovery Programme, Para School Programme and Para Digital Academy. Together, these programmes aim to ensure that the European Para Youth Games leave a long-term legacy by strengthening participation, education, digital capacity and policy collaboration across Europe.

April's Para School Programme attracted the participation of educators and practitioners from around 120 schools

Funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, the EPYG Legacy Initiative is designed to support sustainable Para sport development beyond EPYG 2025, ensuring that the Games act not only as a competition for young athletes, but as a catalyst for wider social inclusion, institutional cooperation and long-term opportunity.

To stay up to date with the EPYG Legacy Initiative, including news, footage and imagery, please visit: https://www.europaralympic.org/epyglegacy