Eligibility rules, sport and competition. Is the ISU skating on thin ice?

In an unusual step, the European Commission sent a Statement of Objections to the International Skating Union (ISU) on 27 September 2016. The ISU is composed of national ice-skating associations and is the sole body recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to administer the sports of figure skating and speed skating on ice. The EU competition investigation relates to the eligibility rules of the ISU governing participation in various skating events. This development is unusual since, as the European Commission acknowledges, most sporting disputes concerned with issues related to the governance of a particular sport or the application of the rules to individuals (anti-doping, match fixing) are handled through the national legal system or through arbitration. As a consequence the sports sector, where pure sporting activities are involved, has achieved an element of autonomy in EU law. However, where sporting rules may have commercial consequences, the economic law of the EU may apply.