The alignment of physical education with physical literacy across 40 European countries: A policy brief to WHO developed by the EUROPLIT Group

sed on two publications in The Lancet Regional Health Europe (accepted) and the Journal of Curriculum Studies (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220272.2025.2523436), we have developed this policy brief. Key Findings: • Across Europe, national PE curricula show mixed alignment with physical literacy. • Countries with stronger education, development, and innovation systems show stronger alignment. • Some countries face barriers including lack of consensus on how physical literacy is defined and translated. Key Recommendations: 1. Maintain and strengthen WHO’s leadership: Continue to explicitly highlight physical literacy across WHO strategies (including GAPPA beyond 2030 and the Health-Promoting Schools Framework). 2. Support national policy development • Provide technical guidance, capacity-building and translation support to help countries integrate physical literacy into PE curricula. • Facilitate regional working groups to build consensus and share best practice.