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1. National strategy(ies)

2. Promoting and supporting sport and physical activity among young people

3. Physical education in schools

4. Collaboration and partnerships

National strategy(ies)

Spain´s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan,  funded through the Next Generation EU initiative, includes a dedicated strategy for the sports sector under Component 26: Promotion of the Sports Sector.  This component aims to modernise, revitalise and restructure the sports sector in response to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, while promoting sustainability, digital transformation, social cohesion, and territorial equity. The total funding allocated to this component is €300 million. 

Key strategic measures include:

1. Implementing the new Sports Law(Law 39/2022), which expands the definition of sports practice and promotes inclusivity across all age groups and abilities.
2. Law on Sports Professions, regulating qualifications and professional standards in the sector. There is currently no national law yet, though regional laws exist for example the Catalan Law on the exercise of sports professions (Law 3/2008).
3. National Strategy for the Promotion of Sport against Sedentarism and Physical Inactivity 2025-2030 (Estrategia Nacional para la Promoción del Deporte contra el Sedentarismo y la Inactividad Física 2025-2030), aimed at encouraging regular physical activity across the population, with a focus on youth.
4. Ecological Transition Plan for Sports Facilities (Plan de Transición Ecológica de las Instalaciones Deportivas), supporting the renovation and sustainability of infrastructure.
5. Social Plan for the Sport Sector, with targeted actions to reduce gender inequality and promote inclusion.
6. Digital Transformation of Sports Organizations, including support for federations and clubs to modernize operations and improve digital infrastructure.
7. Support for High-Performance and Technification Centers (Centros de Alto Rendimiento y de Tecnificación Deportiva),, with investment in their modernization , focusing on sustainability, energy efficiency and inclusive access.
8. Promotion of healthy lifestyles through sport, recognizing physical activity as essential for mental and physical health.
9. Development of safe and inclusive sports infrastructure, especially in rural and depopulated areas.

This strategy positions sport as a cross-cutting policy tool for improving public health, fostering youth development, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Promoting and supporting sport and physical activity among young people

Within the framework of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the Supreme Sports Council (Consejo Superior de Deportes, CSD) is implementing the 2030 Support Plan for Grassroots Sports (Apoyo al Deporte de Base 2030, ADB 2030), a national strategy to modernize and promote grassroots sport.

The plan aims to:

1. Increase participation in sports and physical activity, especially among children and youth
2. Create optimal conditions for talent identification and development, combining athletic and academic training.
3. Promote physical activity and sport as a lifelong healthy habit, extending its impact beyond competitive contexts.

Compared to its predecessor (ADB 2020), ADB 2030 places greater emphasis on the general population, encouraging physical activity as a core component of public health and well-being.

ABD 2030 is structured around three major programmes:

1. Support for School Sport (Apoyo al Deporte Escolar, ADE).
2. Support for University Sports (Apoyo al Deporte Universitario, ADU).
3. Promotion of physical activity and the fight against sedentary lifestyles (Promoción de la Actividad Física y Lucha contra el Sedentarismo, ABD+).

The plan has been declared an event of exceptional public interest under Law 22/2021, of December 28, of the General State Budget for the year 2022, which includes it in the tax regime for non-profit entities and tax incentives for patronage. These incentives support individuals and companies that contribute to the development of grassroots sport.

Programmes such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps contribute to promoting and supporting sport and physical activity among young people. Available data on the most recent Erasmus+ provides some insights into funding for Spanish projects under these funds: 

Sources: Erasmus+ Projects Results Platform. *Filtered by projects coordinated by Spanish organizations in the field of sport, on the topic of promoting healthy lifestyles, that target young people. ** Filtered by projects coordinated by Spanish organizations in the field of youth, on the topic of physical and mental health and wellbeing people, with “active” “physical” or “sports” in their summaries or titles. *** ESC Project Results Platform. Filtered by projects hosted by Spanish organizations, in the topic of physical and mental health and wellbeing, filtered by projects that targeted young people, with “active”, “physical”, “move” or “sports” in their summaries or titles

Physical education in schools

In Spain, the legislative framework governing the Spanish educational system is based on  the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and developed through various organic laws. The current framework is defined by Organic Law 3/2020 (LOMLOE), which amends Organic Law 2/2006. Under LOMLOE, Physical Education (PE) is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary education and is usually taught between two and three hours a week. The law promotes a broader understanding of physical education, integrating it into the school culture through:

• Curricular activities (PE classes)
• Supplementary activities (e.g. movement during recess, classroom-based physical tasks)
• Extracurricular activities (e.g. sports clubs, active commuting)

In addition, it stresses the importance of conducting physical activities in open and outdoor spaces and   encourages schools to integrate healthy habits such as nutrition and daily movement into their educational projects.

Programmes and Resources Supporting Physical Activity in Schools include:

Perseus Programme

The Perseus Programme (Programa Perseo), developed by the Spanish Agency of Food Security and Nutrition  (AESAN), was originally launched in 2006  under the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science. It was implemented as a pilot initiative during the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 school years in selected primary schools across several Autonomous Communities.

It provides guidance for promoting  physical and healthy activity of the students during break time and lunch breaks. One of its chapters is dedicated to the promotion of physical activity in the break time and lunch break. It targets school managers, teachers, families, and regional education authorities, offering practical tools and recommendations to foster healthy habits in the school environments.

Although the programme is no longer actively implemented, its recommendations remain relevant and continue to inform school-based health promotion efforts. Key recommendations include: 

• Recess should last at least 20 minutes and not replace PE classes
• Recess should  not be used for punishment or to do homework
• Schools must provide safe and adequate facilities and equipment for all students to engage in physical activity simultaneously
• Lunchtime should also be used to promote movement, both within and outside school premises.
• Extracurricular activities during lunchtime (typically 1.5 to 2 hours) are encouraged.

GIVE ME 10 (Active Breaks Through Exercise)

Give Me 10 (DAME 10) is a didactic material designed to reduce sedentary behaviour during the school day. It includes 87 short physical activities (5–10 minutes) that can be implemented in the classroom without special equipment.

These activities: 

• Are adaptable to different subjects and age groups (from infant education to secondary school).
• Help reinforce curricular content while promoting movement.
• Can be used flexibly depending on the time of day or students’ attention levels.
• Are part of the Health Promotion and Prevention Strategy (EPSP) of the Spanish National Health System.
• Have been positively received by teachers and shown to improve classroom attention and behaviour.

Collaboration and partnerships

The Spanish government, through the Higher Council of Sports (Consejo Superior de Deportes, CSD), continues to establish and strengthen partnerships for the promotion of sport and physical activity with a range of associations, federations and foundations. Notable partners include the Young Sport Foundation, the International School Sport Federation. 

The CSD also maintains active cooperation with both national and international organizations, with a particular focus on youth sport development. 

Recent examples of international collaboration in the field of youth include:

• Andorra - Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Youth and Sports
• Algeria - Ministry of Youth and Sports
• China - The General State Sports Administration
• Equatorial Guinea - Ministry of Education, Science and Sports
• France - Ministry of Health, Youth and Sport of France
• Gabon - Ministry of Youth and Sports
• Greece - The Secretary General of Sports of Greece
• Haiti - Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action
• Hungary - Deputy Head of International Relations
• Lebanon - Ministry of Youth and Sports
• Mozambique - Ministry of Youth and Sports
• Czech Republic - Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education
• Serbia - Ministry of Education and Sports
• Portugal – State Secretary of Youth and Sport
• Romania - National Agency for Sport
• Russia - State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports
• Tunisia - Ministry of Youth, Sports and Physical Education
• Ukraine - Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports
• Ibero-American sports organizations to enable athletes from these countries to improve their performance and learn new training techniques. 

In addition, the CSD cooperates with other national governmental organizations to promote youth sport at all levels.

The Spanish State grants the CSD the power to provide aid and subsidies to Sports Federations and other sporting entities and associations. This is now regulated under the new Sports Law (Law 39/2022),  which broadens the scope of support and introduces updated criteria for eligibility and transparency in funding allocation