Rules Governing Athletes' Eligibility in National Teams in the Context of European Union Law

Rules Governing Athletes' Eligibility in National Teams in the Context of European Union Law J. D. Thesis Resumé - Abstract: This J. D. thesis's central research question asks where the balance between international sporting governing bodies' interests and values enshrined in rules regarding sporting nationality on one hand, and athletes' rights under EU law on the other hand, lies. This J. D. thesis's conclusions stem from the hypothesis that certain rules governing athletes' eligibility in national teams constitute a disproportionate restriction on the rights that athletes derive from EU law as EU citizens, workers, providers of services, self-employed persons and/or undertakings. I submit that international sporting governing bodies and EU law can co-exist under a promising alliance, which is very desirable since the decisions of EU bodies and institutions clearly influence the global sporting scene. I show that EU bodies and institutions take into account the specific nature of sport, respect sports organisations' legal autonomy and limit themselves in interfering with sporting rules only as long as they breach athletes' rights under EU law. Moreover, EU bodies and institutions' decisions contain a valuable set of principles and instructions for international sporting governing bodies on how to better..