Unlike most international competitions, medals are not awarded to individuals in individual events but to the overall winning team on a points system.

The main idea of the cup, developed by Bruno Zauli, president of the European Committee of the International Association of Athletics Federations, was to create a competition for all European athletics federations, in which they would face each other in track and field events.

In 2008, it was decided to change the competition and for it to take a new format with four leagues, which consist of 20 events for men and 20 for women.

Team scores will be calculated by combination of men and women's points, rather than the previous individual male and female scores.

[1] At the European Athletics Team Championships medals are not awarded, but with gold, silver and bronze conventionally refers to the top three finishes.