After 20 years of collaboration, EDF and the French Swimming Federation (FFN) are renewing their partnership for an additional five years. EDF also announces its support for the 2026 European Swimming Championships, which will be held in Paris from July 31 to August 16, 2026.
Water lies at the heart of EDF’s activities. Whether stored in dams or used to cool nuclear power plants, it plays an essential role in producing low‑carbon electricity. Water is also central to EDF’s sporting commitments, as the Group has supported swimming, an Olympic and Paralympic discipline, for the past two decades.
Since 2005, EDF and the FFN have joined forces to promote swimming in France, support athletes, and raise public awareness of the importance of learning to swim. With drownings causing around 1,000 deaths each year[1], this major public health challenge remains at the heart of their efforts: more than one million children have learned to swim thanks to this partnership[2].
This renewal marks a new milestone, with reinforced ambitions focused on:
- Teaching every child to swim, regardless of their social background. The Swimming Academy aims to train more than 30,000 children per year.
- Environmental awareness, by developing open‑water swimming, particularly through the EDF Aqua Challenge tour. Held every summer in 10 cities across France, the event aims to attract 20,000 participants.
- Preservation of natural resources. The Federation is committed to deploying an environmental and social responsibility policy certified by an independent third party, aligned with the principles of the Sport Sponsors Climate Pledge [3] signed by EDF.
EDF also announced that it will become the first partner of the European Swimming Championships. The competition will be held in the River Seine and at the Olympic Aquatics Centre of the Greater Paris Metropolitan Area in Seine-Saint-Denis, an emblematic legacy venue from the Paris 2024 Games.
This sports sponsorship reflects EDF’s ongoing initiatives with its partner federations. The company actively promotes and facilitates the implementation of concrete decarbonization solutions: improving energy efficiency, connecting venues directly to the electricity grid, supporting electric mobility, and implementing sustainable waste and resource management.
For 30 years, EDF has been supporting French sport and athletes.The Group is convinced that sport offers a unique platform to drive changes in mindset and behaviorin response to environmental and social challenges.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with the French Swimming Federation. Water is at the core of EDF’s energy business. For the past 20 years, we have been committed to promoting swimming education to prevent drownings and supporting French swimmers in their pursuit of victory. Renewing this partnership and becoming the main supporter of the European Championships in Paris was a natural step for us,” said Pierre Viriot, EDF Brand & Image Director.
“We are delighted and proud to continue this journey with our long‑standing partner, EDF. For 20 years, we have worked together to develop the Federation’s disciplines and uphold common social commitments. This partnership around the European Championships reflects the strength and continuity of a collaboration built on trust and shared ambition,” added Gilles Sezionale, President of the French Swimming Federation.