Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry
 | |
| Abbreviation | FESI |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Brussels |
Region served | International |
Official language | English |
President | Horst Widmann |
Secretary General | Alberto Bichi |
| Website |
www |
The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) is a Brussels-based European platform representing the interests of some 1,800 European sporting goods manufacturers before the European Institutions, other international sport federations and other associations.
The group aims to provide opportunities for sporting goods companies to collaborate on non-commercial pre-competitive issues of common interest, monitor legislative initiatives relating to the sporting goods industry at a European level, advocate for the sporting goods industry in Brussels, and communicate with European stakeholders about issues from trade and the supply chain, the environment and product safety. The group also aims to promote free trade between European Member States and facilitate trade world-wide. FESI is a member of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI).
Structure
Members
The group has a membership of around 1800 sporting goods manufacturers mainly represented through its affiliation system:
- Regular Members
- Industry Suppliers (IS): Companies which own and/or distribute at wholesale level quality brands of sporting goods in the European Union, which are established and significant and Companies which manufacture an established and significant line of quality sporting goods in the European Union and distribute these at wholesale level may apply for this membership category
- National Sports Industry Federations (NSIF): Membership for NSIFs may be obtained by national governing bodies of any country in the European Union, which are duly constituted and recognized under the relevant national law
- Associated Members
- Associated DIRECT Membership may be granted to an IS which directly subscribes to FESI in the case of no NSIF existing in the country where such an IS is established, or in the case of the relevant NSIF not belonging to FESI
- Associated INDIRECT Membership may be granted to an IS belonging to an NSIF, if such a body exists and is recognized by FESI in the European countries where the respective IS is established or has had at least a subsidiary or affiliate company, for a period of up to two years
- Sustaining Members
- Membership may be granted by FESI, at the discretion of its Board, to recognized and reputed bodies, companies, institutions and the like, which organize and run sporting goods trade fairs and to other comparable bodies at the discretion of FESI's Board
Committees
FESI has set up 10 Working Committees on various EU policies:
- Trade & Customs
- Product Safety
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Contact with Sports Federations:
- Ski
- Ski Boots
- Statistical
- Research & Development
- Environmental
- National Federations
History
FESI was created in the early sixties with the aim of achieving free and fair trade in Europe while facilitating trade worldwide. In October 1994, FESI headquarters moved to Brussels, a strategic step which has allowed FESI to increase its lobbying and enhance its impact on European institutions.
In February 2002, during an Extraordinary General Assembly, FESI decided to allow sports manufacturers a direct voting right in its main decision bodies. Sports manufacturers can thus become FESI Regular Members in the same way as FESI National Federations.
In December 2002, following some months of consultation and negotiation, FESI and FEPI (Federation of the European Play Industry) signed a letter of intent which paved the way for a future collaboration between both organizations.