[2] The EHF represents its members in the development of the sport both in terms of grassroots talent, as well as commercial growth.

[3][4] It suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus as well as Russian and Belarusian clubs competing in European handball competitions.

First played in 1994, the EHF EUROs have taken place in host nations across the continent on a biennial basis, with the men's event held in January and the women's in December.

The Men's EHF EURO 2012, held in Serbia, attracted a cumulative global TV audience of 1.47 billion, and was transmitted by 75 broadcasters in more than 200 territories.

The Women's EHF EURO 2014 in Hungary and Croatia achieved a cumulative audience of 723 million, which is the highest ever result for the championship.

The competition has developed considerably over the years, with the introduction of a distinctive blue lagoon and black floor in the 2007–08 season, the creation of an 'EHF Champions League' ball as well as changes to the format of the competition, which saw the introduction of a new 'Last 16' and the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in the 2009–10 season.

[16] The women's competition also introduced the final tournament for the first time in the 2013–14 season and added the quarter-final stage in the following edition.

A new playing system was introduced for the EHF Champions League,[17] for both the men's and the women's competition, with the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

The EHF has a number of projects and initiatives through which it supports the development of the sport generally and also in its member federations.

This has led to claims of sexism within the organization from several people, including Norwegian Member of Parliament Lene Westgaard-Halle.