The EU General Court delivers ruling on the application of competition law to sports authorization rules and upholds the role of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (International Skating Union)

The General Court of the European Union (the "General Court") has confirmed this week that the eligibility rules of the International Skating Union ("ISU"), which penalized athletes participating in competitions not authorized by the ISU, infringe EU competition law. [1] While the EU General Court considered it appropriate for sports governing bodies to seek to establish common standards for the organization of sporting events, such rules should not unduly deprive third-party organizers from market access, and must be fair and proportionate to the legitimate objectives pursued by these rules. In addition, the EU General Court upheld the role of the Court of Arbitration for Sport ("CAS") as the primary body for the adjudication of sports-related disputes. Background The ISU is the sole