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ANNEX 6

TECHNICAL REPORT

Rationale and background

Development and competitiveness are closely linked to the collection, systematisation,

availability, and use of essential, reliable, accurate, and timely information, including data.

The economic and human development of each country depends on the analytical

capabilities of its civil service, as well as its reliability and expertise in developing and

implementing policies and programs.

Ministries responsible for sport often face challenges in supporting sport in ways that

maximize societal benefits, distribute subsidies fairly, and ensure efficient use of resources.

Evidence-based decision-making contributes to more transparent and reliable policy

decisions, which are based on actual data and analysis. At the same time, data collection and

processing are often time- and resource-intensive. Digitalisation can support evidence-based

policymaking.

The Peer Learning Activity (PLA) on “State Sport Information Systems and Evidence-

Based Policy-Making” was organised to share Estonia's experience — where a substantial

part of sports policy decisions is based on data, analysis, and information technology through

the national sports database, the Estonian Sports Register—and to bring together interested

EU Member States to exchange good practices and discuss challenges.

The Estonian Sports Register, established in 2009 and part of the state information system

since 2011, collects and processes data to improve the organisation, management, and

support of sport, as well as the practice of sport. Established by the Ministry of Culture and

the Estonian Olympic Committee and managed by the Estonian Foundation of Sports

Education and Information, the Register operates daily, collecting and analysing data and

making it available for decision-making.

Achievement of objectives

The general aim of the PLA was to support EU Member States in

implementing digitalisation and evidence-based sports policymaking. The PLA set several

concrete objectives, all of which were successfully achieved through well-planned

topics, presentations and discussions, and active participation of EU Member States.

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Detailed description

(all the different activities carried out, overall assessment of the results of the action (number

of participants, targeted audience, people who benefit directly and indirectly of the action…)

and proof of their dissemination (communication and information plan), published material

(CD, DVD publication, photographs, press releases…)

1. Sharing Estonia’s Best Practice

Objective: To share Estonia’s best practices in digitalisation in

sport, demonstrating how data is collected and used in sports policy-making via the

Estonian Sports Register.

Achievement:

Estonia’s approach was presented in five dimensions through a moderated high-level

conversation and keynote presentations:

1. Estonia as a Digital Country – importance of data-based policymaking and

benefits for sport (moderated conversation with Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the

Estonian Olympic Committee and President of the Republic of Estonia 2016-

2021).

2. Estonian Sports Register – Overview of the state sport database and information

system (Kairis Ulp, Head of the Estonian Sports Register).

3. Practical Use of the Estonian Sports Register for Evidence-based Policy-

making:

o Outputs for the state (Margus Klaan, Estonian Ministry of Culture)

o Outputs for sport organisations (Raido Mitt, Estonian Ministry of Culture)

o Outputs for coaches (Liisa Roos, Estonian Foundation of Sports Education and

Information)

2. Exchange of Knowledge and Good Practices

Objective: To exchange knowledge, experience, and examples of good practices on state

sport information systems and evidence-based sport policy-making.

Achievement:

 The PLA was attended by 56 representatives from 20 countries, including 19 EU

Member States – more than expected.

 Four EU Member States and the European Commission Sport Unit presented

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their good practices as keynote speakers:

o Portugal: State of play of sport data and statistics (Fábio

Silva, Portugese Institute of Sport and Youth)

o Croatia: National Information System in Sport (Branko Radičević, Ministry of

Tourism and Sport)

o European Commission: Latest developments in sport statistics (Stefano Pintus)

o Spain: Digitalisation as a development tool (Nicolás Battaglia, Spanish Sports

Association)

o Finland: Solution to scattered sports data (Carita Riutta, Finnish Olympic

Committee)

 Ten EU Member States provided brief presentations or interventions outlining

the current state of their national sports information

systems, digitalisation initiatives and/or using data for sports-policy making:

o Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia,

Spain, the Netherlands

3. Discussing Challenges and Future Plans

Objective: Discuss challenges and future plans related to state sport information

systems and evidence-based policy-making.

Achievement:

 The PLA included two group discussions:

1. Good practices and challenges related to digitalisation and sports policymaking

2. Key takeaways from the PLA

Main Outcomes:

 Approximately half of participating EU Member States have already created or

are in the process of creating digital sports databases.

 Reliable data enables more precise interventions, targeted support, and mapping

of sector developments. The trend is shifting from reactive data collection

toward proactive analysis.

 Challenges identified include legal constraints, unclear concepts, and limited

resources.

 Main challenges outlined: documentation and legal basis; government decisions

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and support; IT resources availability; development costs; complexity of

implementation; management and coordination difficulties; future risks.

 Main areas of common interest and challenges for further cooperation:

1. Collection and processing of personal data for analysing sport and physical

activity habits

2. Ensuring data quality

3. Clarifying the legal basis

Detailed description

PLA Announcements and Invitations:

 Announced through Working Party on Sport meetings (including preliminary

questionnaire, invitation and registration information, post-event results).

 Written invitations were sent on 22 January 2025, including the

preliminary programme and objectives. Member States were invited to register

by 22 February 2025.

Preliminary Questionnaire (October 2024):

 18 countries responded:

o 15 expressed interest in participating

o 13 offered to present good practices

o 11 reported having a national sport information system

o 5 expressed interest in presenting as keynote speakers

Online Meetings with Keynote Speakers:

 Three online briefings were held to ensure relevance and quality of presentations

(7, 9, and 16 May 2025).

PLA Meeting (20–21 May 2025, Tallinn):

 Attended by 56 representatives from 20 countries and the European

Commission.

 Programme included: one moderated interview, nine long and three short

keynote presentations, 10 MS interventions, and two group discussions.

Dissemination of the results:

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 Conclusions published on Ministry of Culture website and social media (6 June

2026)

 Presentations shared with participants by email (27 May 2025)

 WhatsApp group created for continued communication

PLA PROGRAMME

State sport information systems & data based policy making

Tallinn, 19th-21st May, 2025

19th May

DAY OF ARRIVAL

19:00-21:00 Buffet dinner at the hotel Park Inn by Radisson Meriton Tallinn

(Toompuiestee 27, 10149 Tallinn, Estonia)

20th May

SESSION I (9:00-13:00)

08:30 Registration

09:00 Official welcome by Ministry of Culture, Mr. Margus Klaan, Head of Sports

Department

09:15 Estonia as a digital country, why we need data-based policymaking and how

sport

can benefit from it. Moderated conversation with Mrs. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of

the

Estonian Olympic Committee and President of the Republic of Estonia 2016-2021

10:00 Family Photo

10:10 Presentation on the latest developments in sport statistics. Mr. Stefano Pintus,

Policy Officer, European Commission Sport Unit

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10:45 Coffee break

11:00 Estonian Sports Register, the state sport database and information system for

Estonian Sport. Mrs. Kairis Ulp, Head of the Estonian Sports Register, Estonian

Foundation of Sports Education and Information (Estonia).

12:00 State of Play of Sport Data and Statistics in Portugal. Mr. Fábio Silva, Senior

Policy

Officer, Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (Portugal).

12:45 Lunch

SESSION II (14:00 -17:00)

14:00 Functionality of Croatian National Information System in Sport. Mr. Branko

Radičević, Head of Service, Ministry of Tourism and Sport (Croatia).

14:30 MS state sports databases and using digitalisation and data for the development

of

sport and for sport policy making. Short presentations by participating countries.

16:00 Group discussions: MS good practices and challenges related

to digitalisation and

sport policy making.

19:00 Dinner at Telliskivi Creative Hub (Telliskivi tn 60a, 10412 Tallinn)

21st May

7:00 Joint morning run in the Toompark. Gathering point in the lobby of the hotel.

SESSION III (9:00-13:00)

9:00 Estonian sport information system in practice - using state sport information

system

for making sport policy decisions. Outputs of state sport information system:

for the state – Mr. Margus Klaan, Head of Sports Department, Estonian Ministry of

Culture;

for sports organisations – Mr. Raido Mitt, Undersecretary for Sports, Estonian

Ministry of Culture;

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for coaches – Mrs. Liisa Roos, Manager of Coaches Qualifications, Estonian

Foundation of Sports Education and Information.

10:15 Presentations of MS good practices:

From the Court to the Code: Digitalization as a Development Tool in Spanish Sports.

Mr. Nicolás Battaglia, Head of digitalization, Spanish Sports Association (Spain).

Finnish solution to scattered sports data. Mrs. Carita Riutta, Manager of

sports federations, partnerships and services of Suomisport, Finnish Olympic

Committee (Finland).

11:15 Coffee break

11:30 Group discussion: Main takeaways from the PLA.

12:30 Presentation of summaries of group discussions.

13:00 Conclusions of the PLA:

Mr. Stefano Pintus, Policy Officer, European Commission Sport Unit

Mr. Jarko Koort, Member of the Board/CEO, Estonian Foundation of

Sports Education and Information

Mr. Margus Klaan, Head of Sports Department, Estonian Ministry of Culture

13:30 Lunch

14:30 Free time or sightseeing in Tallinn Old Town

Departures

Moderated Interview and Keynote Presentations – Summary

Moderated Interview – Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia)

Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Estonian Olympic Committee and former President

of the Republic of Estonia shared insights into the development of Estonia’s digital

society, highlighting the role of digital governance and data-driven decision-making.

Kaljulaid emphasised that evidence-based policy-making, including in the field of sport,

increases measurability, reliability and long-term sustainability of public policies.

Stefano Pintus (European Commission, DG EAC)

Stefano Pintus, Policy Officer at the (DG EAC) of the European Commission, presented

recent and planned EU-level initiatives aimed at harmonising sport statistics. He

underlined the economic and social importance of the sport sector and informed

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participants about four upcoming reports focusing on harmonised methodologies,

participation in sport, and the social and economic value of sport.

Kairis Ulp (Estonia)

Kairis Ulp, Head of the Estonian Sports Register, provided a comprehensive overview

of the structure, core principles and development of the Estonian Sports Register. She

explained how the register has supported sport governance in Estonia since 2011

by collecting and processing data on sport organisations, sport schools, coaches, sport

facilities, competition results, athlete scholarships, contracts and athlete support. The

presentation highlighted the register as a key tool for evidence-based sport policy

development in Estonia.

Fábio Silva and Teresa Saraiva (Portugal)

Fábio Silva, Senior Policy Officer at the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth,

together with Teresa Saraiva, presented the Portuguese approach to producing sport

statistics within the national statistical system. They explained how

different organisations and institutional units cooperate to

collect, process and disseminate sport-related data on behalf of the national

government.

Branko Radičević (Croatia)

Branko Radičević, Head of Service at the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of Croatia,

presented the Croatian National Information System in Sport (NISuS).

He demonstrated the system’s functionality and structure, which is based on three main

registers covering categorised athletes, professional staff (coaches and instructors), and

independent sport activities. The presentation illustrated the wide scope of NISuS,

including data on athletes, sport organisations, sport facilities, competition results,

financial monitoring of public sport programmes, education and qualification

processes, inspections, licensing, recognition of foreign qualifications, and participation

in health-enhancing physical activity.

Margus Klaan (Estonia)

Margus Klaan, Head of the Sports Department at the Estonian Ministry of Culture,

presented the outputs of the Estonian Sports Register for state-level decision-making.

He explained how the system supports the Estonian Sport Strategy 2030,

including maintaining records of state scholarships, sporting results, allocation of

support, recognition of key contributors in sport, and planning the use of sport

infrastructure.

Raido Mitt (Estonia)

Raido Mitt, Undersecretary for Sports at the Estonian Ministry of Culture, focused on

the use of the Estonian Sports Register for sport organisations. His presentation

highlighted the automated calculation of state support to sport federations and the fully

digital process from application submission and contract signing to

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reporting, demonstrating efficiency and transparency in resource allocation.

Liisa Roos (Estonia)

Liisa Roos, Manager of Coaches Qualifications at the Estonian Foundation of Sports

Education and Information, presented the outputs of the system for coaches. She

outlined the digitisation of applications, self-service, issuance, and record-keeping of

certified and non-certified coaches, illustrating the practical use of the sports register

for professional development and administration.

Nicolás Battaglia (Spain)

Nicolás Battaglia, Head of Digitalisation at the Spanish Sports Association, presented

“Digitalisation as a Development Tool in Spanish Sports.” He shared the

experience how sport and physical activity were included among the ten strategic

policies of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, with a focus on

digital tools supporting sport development and management across the country.

Carita Riutta (Finland)

Carita Riutta, Manager of Sports Federations, Partnerships, and Services

at Suomisport, Finnish Olympic Committee, introduced the Finnish solution to

fragmented sports data. She presented Suomisport as a national digital platform and

ecosystem for Finnish sports organisations, centralising sport support allocation and

integrating Sports ID for athletes, enhancing data-driven decision-making and

operational efficiency.

Short Presentations / Interventions by EU Member States – Summary

Austria

Austria presented the current state of play regarding the development of a national

sport facilities database, which is not yet in place and is currently subject to a draft

agreement. In addition, Austria introduced an ex-ante economic evaluation tool used

for assessing the impact of major sport events.

Belgium

Belgium presented the Vlaanderen (Flanders) approach to sport data, including

existing databases on sport, sport infrastructure, coaches’ qualifications, and

membership data of sport organisations.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria introduced its new national sport strategy and presented six existing sport

registers covering sport federations, sport clubs, united sport clubs, tourist associations,

sport facilities, and coaching staff. The presentation also addressed key challenges

related to the management and development of these registers.

Finland

Finland presented the Suomisport service as a national digital platform, alongside the

national Sports Data Strategy and the SporttiData report (data and impact analysis, as

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well as the use of analytics and visualisation tools).

Hungary

Hungary introduced the Hungarian National Sports Information System (NSR),

outlining its structure and the processes for registering sport organisations and

individuals.

Latvia

Latvia presented the VIIS as a state database used keeping record of for sport

schools and their data, along with several related datasets, including a sport

infrastructure register, funding principles for state-recognised sport federations, and a

database on athletes’ functional status maintained by the Latvian Olympic Committee.

Lithuania

Lithuania shared experiences, challenges, and lessons learned from the development of

the Lithuanian Sports Register (ŠMSM), which covers sport organisations, sport

facilities, athletes, coaches, and referees.

Slovenia

Slovenia provided an overview of the current state of existing sport registers, including

registers of sport organisations, sport professionals, elite athletes, accredited

training programmes, public sport facilities, and open sport areas.

Spain

Spain presented the success story of the comprehensive digitalisation initiative in the

sport sector, supported by the national Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan,

that was achieved in good cooperation with Spanish Sports Association.

The initative covers 8 topics: the digitalisation of sport federations, development of a

data warehouse for sport data analysis, implementation of Internet of Things solutions

in high-performance centres, digital systems for training optimisation, the creation of

an electronic office for anti-doping administration, and the rollout of new IT solutions

across sports medicine centres and the study on digitalisation needs for

the digitalisation of the sports sector.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands presented its national system for monitoring key indicators of sport

and physical activity, consisting of 25 indicators and supported by a broad network of

data and knowledge institutes. The presentation demonstrated how these indicators are

used by policymakers to inform sport and physical activity policies.

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European added value / Relevance towards the strategic issues related to the EU

Programme

(describe how the project contributed to the development and/or implementation of the

European policy)

By bringing together representatives of 19 EU Member States, the PLA “State sport

information systems & data based policy making” contributed to the implementation of

the EU Sport Work Plan 2024–2027 on its two key themes 1) “Innovation

and digitalisation” and 2) “Policymaking and investments in sport”.

The Peer Learning Activity delivered clear European added value for participating EU

Member States and beyond by:

 Introducing an Innovative Topic: For the first time, EU Member States jointly

explored the topic of state sport information systems and their role in evidence-based

sport policy-making. This shared focus enabled the exchange of good practices and

the discussion of common challenges, fostering mutual learning across borders.

 Identifying Common Interests and Challenges: The PLA highlighted key areas of

shared concern, including the collection and processing of personal data, ensuring data

quality, and clarifying the legal framework. This provides a common basis for

possible coordinated efforts and harmonised approaches among Member States.

 Establishing a Network for Future Cooperation: The PLA created an expert

network to strengthen cooperation among EU Member States, supporting effective use

of sport data and enhancing its social and economic impact at the European level.