Council of Europe

Seminar on Sports Betting and Anti-Money Laundering (Brussels, 11 December 2012)

The protection of young athletes from dangers associated with migration: a new Recommendation adopted on 19 September 2012

In European professional football, recruiting young players  is a reality, as reflected in the example of one of the best players at present, Lionel Messi, who was only 13 when he arrived at FC Barcelona.  Alongside that extraordinary success story, there are also more frequent unhappy experiences including violations of children’s rights, human rights and sports ethics. While migratory tendencies linked to sport appear most often in football, they also take place in other sports, and more and more athletes are migrating from southern countries to Europe or within Europe in pursuit of a career in sport. A large majority of those hoping to pursue a career abroad never acquire professional status, while some are forced into situations that are detrimental to their personal development and welfare.
Following numerous studies and meetings held within the framework of EPAS since 2009 on this subject, the Committee of Ministers has now adopted a Recommendation to member States on the protection of child and young athletes from dangers associated with migration.

EPAS launches the negotiation process for international convention on match-fixing.

Following on from Recommendation CM/Rec(2011)10 and the recent Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (Belgrade, 15 March 2012), the Committee of Ministers has invited EPAS to launch the negotiation of a possible Council of Europe Convention against manipulation of sports results and notably match-fixing.
Why a convention? The problem of match-fixing is not only a sports issue, this is about fighting organised crime and corruption; beyond the manipulation of sports results, the protection of the core values of the 47 Council of Europe member states, especially the rule of law, is at stake.  The new international convention would be a binding instrument open to both European and non-European countries aimed at suppressing the manipulation of sports results which continues to grow across the world. The Council of Europe is committed to playing a pioneering role in this subject, just as it did 25 years ago with the anti-doping convention, by strengthening international cooperation and paving the way for worldwide action.
Member and non-member States are invited to take part in the negotiation and drafting process;  further details on how to proceed can be found in the “Framework and calendar” document.

Conference “UNITED AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA IN SPORTS : the contribution of policy-makers, researchers and sports movements”

The EPAS is co-organising a major event with the European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation, the Council of Europe's LGBT issues Unit, and in co-operation with Utrecht University/School of Governance, Movisie and the Mulier Institute.
The conference will namely be opened by Mrs Edith Ingeborg Schippers, the Dutch Minister for Health, Welfare and Sport, and Ms Filloreta Kodra, Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. It will revolve around interactive workshops grouping together different stakeholders on themes such as the safety of LGBT athletes, attitudes of supporters in stadiums, possibility for “same-sex” couples to participate together in certain sporting disciplines, and the integration of transgender athletes in recreational and competitive sport.  The aim is to take stock of the overall situation regarding homophobia and transphobia in and through sport, to look at activities and projects being run by the various parties and to see their impact, in particular, on young people.
The organisers of the conference hope it will come up with avenues to be further explored, in order to make the fight against LGBT discrimination in sport more efficient and to allow LGBT athletes to carry out their sport in an unrestricted and safe way. 

Registration is now open!
Registration form

More information
 

Regional seminar on Sports Facilities, Tirana, 26-27 June

EPAS has co-organised a seminar on sports facilities, in collaboration with the Albanian authorities (Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports) within the framework of the Albanian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. The seminar was opened by Mr Aldo Bumçi, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sport, and an address to the participants was made by Mr Edmond Haxhinasto, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania as well as acting Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers.
The two-day seminar, organised for public authorities in Balkan countries, included presentations by the European Olympic Committees, the Council of Europe’s Development Bank and European specialists from the field of sports facility management.  Issues such as funding, maintenance, and management of facilities were addressed, allowing the participants to understand, in particular, the pros and cons of the various potential arrangements for a public service delivery in partnership with private sector operators.
 

Conference on “Homophobia in the Stadium”

A conference on “Homophobia in the Stadium” organised by EGLSF, in cooperation with Football for Equality II and with participation from the Council of Europe, was held in Budapest on 30th June under the umbrella of the EuroGames 2012 which kicked off in Budapest on 27 June.
Mrs Sonia Parayre, Deputy Executive Secretary of the EPAS, took part in the conference alongside Mr Uffe Elbaek (Culture Minister of Denmark) and Mrs Tanja Walther-Ahrens (former football player, and representative of EGLSF) amongst others.  The discussions focused on the different approaches from (inter)national, regional and local governing bodies on tackling homophobia in sports throughout Europe. The conference also gave participants from the ENGSO Youth study session (organised in conjunction with EPAS at the Council of Europe’s European Youth Centre in Budapest from 24 June to 1 July) the opportunity to present the outcomes and video from their session on “Youth Sport speaks out on TabooPhobia”. Every year, the EuroGames gathers LGBT athletes and their friends, with over 2000 participants from 34 European countries expected to have taken part in this year’s event in Budapest.

Eurogames
EGLSF news
ENGSO Youth study session – video preview
Photos

Euronews report on match-fixing

At the recent Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport which took place in Belgrade on 15 March 2012, those present invited the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) to launch the negotiation of a possible new international convention against manipulation of sports results and notably match-fixing. EPAS has started work on this process and is also taking steps to create a pan-european network of national betting authorities. These activities coincide with a short documentary which is currently being broadcast by the TV network “Euronews”. The report focuses on match-fixing, and features extracts from the Ministerial Conference in Belgrade.

Video

EPAS partners ENGSO Youth in training seminar activities

The Council of Europe is partner to a study session being organised by ENGSO Youth entitled “Youth Sport speaks out on TabooPhobia - Developing a youth led campaign to challenge homophobia in and through sport”.  The session will take place at the European Youth Centre, Budapest from 24 June to 1 July and will focus on tackling homophobia in the world of sport. More details can be found on the ENGSO youth website.
 

Montenegro joins EPAS

In a letter to the Secretary General dated 21 February 2012, the Minister of Education and Sports of Montenegro, Mr Slavoljub Stijepović, announced that Montenegro would join the EPAS on 1 June 2012, making it the 34^th member State of the Partial Agreement. It will participate, for the first time, in the EPAS Governing Board meeting taking place on 20-21 June.

 A regional seminar co-organised by EPAS and the FARE network on “Women and Sport in the Balkans” is planned for November this year and will take place in Montenegro.
 

Match-fixing at Sport Ministers' Conference in Belgrade (Serbia)

In the framework of activities of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), the 12th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport took place on March 15th in Belgrade, at the invitation of the Serbian Government.
The conference consisted of two parts: in the first, following up on the Recommendation CM/Rec (2011) 10, Ministers addressed the promotion of the integrity of sport to fight match-fixing, with the possibility to negotiate a specific international convention. In the second one, the event focused on pan-European sports' co-operation and strengthening monitoring mechanisms of the European Convention on Spectator Violence. (more...)

Final resolutions
Speech by Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Maud de Boer-Buquicchio
Speech by Michel Platini, President of UEFA

Will illegal betting threaten Europe’s year of sport?

Lausanne, February 2, 2012 - Interview with Stanislas Frossard, the Executive Secretary of EPAS at the meeting of the Founding Working Group on the Fight Against Irregular and Illegal Betting in Sport of the International Olympic Committee.

In this interview, Stanislas Frossard, the organisation's key adviser on these issues, explains why he believes Council of Europe's standards could be the framework for the global response of this "concer of sport" estimated to be worth $140 billion.

"This is world-wide problem," he says. "Match-fixing has become the number one issue in sport policy. The Council of Europe has a leadership position.
"The Council of Europe intends to open its process to non-European states and to broaden good standards to fight against match-fixing and possibly to involve non-European states in its convention."

Concern about the threat posed to European sport by match-fixing and illegal betting is heightened this year due to the UEFA football championship tournament hosted by Ukraine and Poland and the London Olympics.

Link to the podcast

12th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, 15 March 2012, Belgrade, at the invitation of the Serbian Gouvernment

The conference will cover two main themes.

In the first part, the ministers will be invited to discuss the promotion of integrity in sport to combat match-fixing, and in particular the pros and cons of negotiating an international convention compared to continuing with co-operation based on existing conventions, complemented by decisions and non-binding legal instruments.

The second part will deal with political issues of pan-European co-operation and strengthening the monitoring capacities of the Convention on Spectator Violence.

For more information, click here.


Programme

European Women and Sport Conference 2011

For more detailed information on the conference (in English and French) please visit the conference homepage: http://en.ews2011.com/
 

Seminar on Volunteer Programmes for Major Sports Events

2nd National Conference of Adapted Sports: The Integration Process in the International Context

In connection with its Programme to Promote Diversity in and through Sport, the EPAS is supporting a conference on adapted sport, co-organised by the Spanish Paralympic Committee, the Spanish Council of Sport and the University of Valencia.

The 2^nd National Conference of Adapted Sports will take place in Valencia, Spain on 22-23 February 2011. This second edition of the conference will delve into the processes of integration of people with disabilities in sports, the focus being on the integration practices in an international context.

The conference features an exchange of experience and sharing of good practices regarding sport integration process in different European countries. International Sports Federations such as the International Cycling Union, as well as leading institutions in the integration of people with disabilities, such as Paralympics GB and its Spanish equivalent, the Spanish Paralympic Committee, will likewise share their views and contribute to the conference.

For more information and registration visit: http://www.eventosuv.com/index.php

Youth Leaders at Council of Europe “Pilot Training on Intercultural Skills for Volunteers and Youth Leaders Working with People with Disabilities”

The “Pilot Training on Intercultural Skills for Volunteers and Youth Leaders Working with People with Disabilities” was held at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg/France on 3-6 February 2011. It was co-organised by the Council of Europe EPAS (Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport), Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia, ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association) and ENGSO Youth (European non Governmental Sport Organization Youth Section). 

The seminar mainly addressed the involvement of people with disabilities in sport and society, as well as the question how youth leaders and volunteers can support non-mainstream participation in theory and practice.

Interactive methods like workshops, sport games and open space tools, facilitated the engagement of and sharing of good practices in the field of youth participation among a group of very diverse participants, including a wide age range (14-52), people with intellectual disabilities and mainstream youth from 15 countries.

The training allowed youth with and without intellectual disabilities coming from different cultural backgrounds working in sport structures and events participants to build relations. It also provided the opportunity to debate ways to strengthen the participation and leadership of youth with and without intellectual disabilities in sport organisations and activities, by involving them in planning and organising activities and taking on ownership in driving those activities. In this context, sport was discussed as a tool to foster acceptance of youth with disabilities and to facilitate social inclusion. It was highlighted that at the same time, sport remains to be a field in which progress is needed to ensure the full participation of youth with disabilities.

For a vivid impression of the training, feel free to have a look at the 1:30 min YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eWM5bqpzg8

Regional seminar: “Disability Sport as an active tool to overcome discrimination and to promote social inclusion”

In the frame of its pan European programme to promote diversity in and through sport, this seminar was co-organised by the EPAS and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism of Poland, in co-operation with the European Paralympic Committee. It took place in Warsaw on 17-18 January.

All the stakeholders attending the conference presented their respective activities and policies: on the one hand the intergovernmental organisations such as the Council of Europe, the EU or the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace; on the other hand, sport organisations/federation and NGOs.  Challenges are still faced by people with disabilities practice sport activities in their daily life, including youth. Specific challenges also arise in the practice of elite sport, in particular for disabled women. Finally, participants acknowledged the responsibility of the media on the representation of people with disabilities and its impact on the sport movement.

Progress has been achieved but many challenges lie ahead. The adoption of an integrated policy approach has been suggested and the EPAS will pursue its activities combining different measures, through training and awareness-raising events, as well as disseminating good practices.

Skopje, “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, 14–15 October 2010

Round table on "On-line sports betting: what are the stakes for sport?

The EPAS was represented at a round table on "On-line sports betting: what are the stakes for sport?" taking place during the International Sports Convention for Television and New Media in Monaco (11-14 October 2010).

Stanislas Frossard, Executive Secretary of the EPAS gave a description of the Council of Europe's work on the subject of match fixing, referring particularly to Resolution 1 adopted by the Ministers responsible for Sport when they met in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 22 September 2010. Also speaking: Christophe Blanchard-Dignac, President of la Française des Jeux, Philippe Germond, Chief Executive Officer of France's PMU betting system, Denis Masseglia, President of France's National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and Jean-François Vilotte, President of the French on-line gaming regulatory authority (ARJEL), who looked at the consequences of the regulation of gambling for relations between betting operators and the sports movement, the prevention of risks to sport arising from betting, and French practice in an international context.

"Match fixing" on the agenda of the Council of Europe Informal Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport in Baku

Date: 22 September 2010
Place: Baku, Azerbaijan
Organised by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Description: Promoting the integrity of sport against manipulation of results, in other words "match fixing", was one of the main themes debated by ministers, senior officials and experts at the  Following introductory presentations by Declan Hill, researcher and journalist, and Drago Kos, President of GRECO (the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption), the ministers examined good practices that could be promoted to defend and reinforce sport's integrity against manipulation of results.

The adopted resolution supports the continuation of standard-setting activities regarding this issue, with the preparation of a recommendation to member states and a possible International Convention. It includes a comprehensive set of measures that Governments, Sports Movements and betting operators are invited to follow to better prevent manipulations of Sports results.

The Ministers also discussed issues such as the granting of visas to sports men and women participating in international competitions and the need to increase the monitoring of the Sports Conventions (Anti-Doping and Spectator Violence).  Jaime Lissavetzky, Secretary of State for Sport of Spain, was appointed  representative of the European Public Authorities in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Executive Committee for 2011 and 2012.

Finally, the Ministerial Conference also took a stand to strengthen the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union in the sphere of sport, in particular following the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, which specifies that the EU shall work closer with the Council of Europe on sports issues. The Conference was hosted and chaired by Azad Rahimov, Minister for Youth and Sport of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, addressed a video message.
 

Resolution Nr 1

Resolution Nr 2
 

Morocco joins the EPAS

At the opening session of the “Seminar on the perspectives of co-operation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Council of Europe”, which took place in Rabat on 22-23 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr Taïb Fassi Fihri, gave the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Ms Maud De Boer-Buquicchio, the decision to join the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS). This decision follows up on the invitation that the Committee of Ministers opened to Morocco in December 2009. Morocco became the 33^rd member state of EPAS and the first extra-European country to join the agreement on 22 February 2010.

The Rabat Seminar aims to explore possible ways for Morocco to participate in Council of Europe activities. A presentation of the sport sector of the Council of Europe (EPAS and the Conventions) was performed by Mr Stanislas Frossard, EPAS Executive Secretary. The Moroccan sports authorities, who are committed to a process of development of their sports policies and were represented by Mr Said El Boukhari, Sports Director at the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Morocco, expressed their interest for the themes and ongoing activities of the Council of Europe.
 

Co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Commission

Since the Lisbon Treaty came into force on 1 December 2009, the European Union has had jurisdiction in the field of sport and is invited to co-operate in this domain with other organisations, including the Council of Europe.

For many years now the Council of Europe has played a key role in sport thanks to its two flagship conventions (European Convention on Spectator Violence and Anti-Doping Convention), its ministerial conferences and intergovernmental co-operation, work carried out since 2007 by the EPAS.

A meeting held in Brussels on 29 January 2010, between the Directors of Youth and Sport from the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe and from the European Commission, defined the guidelines of an active and more followed-up co-operation between the two institutions.

Seminar on “Bribery and match fixing”

On 2 December 2009, EPAS brought together around the same table sports associations, betting operators and representatives of public authorities to discuss the issue of corruption and match fixing. 
This issue, singled out at the 11^th Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport, is highly topical.  This seminar was the first step towards the drafting of a new EPAS recommendation for Council of Europe member states.

International conference  "Fight Against Racism and Violence through Diversity in Sport”

“Tolerance, mutual respect and fair play are at the heart of every sport and must be promoted by all” announced Mrs Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Minister of Youth and Sport, Republic of Serbia.

During this conference, which took place from 20 to 21 October in Belgrade, 4 ministers and representatives from 24 European countries met together in search of solutions and remedies to combat this threat.

 
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EPAS Welcomes its 32nd Member state!

We are pleased to announce that, following the accession of the Russian Federation (6 August 2009), there are now 32 EPAS member states.(more)

Italy has also expressed its intention of joining the Partial Agreement.

International Colloquy (April 2009) A multidisciplinary international colloquy jointly organised by EPAS and the University of Rennes 2 took place in Rennes, France, from 15 to 17 April 2009, on the theme of "Ethics and Sport in Europe". Four important themes were covered:  1. The historical and philosophical foundations of the  ethics of sport;  2. New challenges to the ethics of sport;  3. Ethics and governance in sport;  4. Sport research and its contribution to the study/changing of the ethics of sport. This conference was addressed by research scientists, institutional and political decision-makers and practitioners (such as NGOs), and was held in two languages (French and English), with simultaneous interpretation.

First Meeting of the EPAS Consultative Committee (March 2009) The first meeting of the EPAS Consultative Committee was held in Barcelona on 27 and 28 February 2009. This was followed on from the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (Athens, December 2008); the theme of the Conference (Ethics and Autonomy in Sport) should lead to proposals for action to be carried out with states and with the European organisations which represent the world of sport, in an innovative form of consultation and decision-making. UEFA and ENGSO have already joined the Consultative Committee, and other European federations have expressed an interest.

European Encounters on Education through Sport Co-organisées par l’APES du Conseil de l’Europe, l’Agence pour l’Education par le Sport et l’Equipe de recherche en sciences sociales du sport de l’Université Marc Bloch de Strasbourg, ces rencontres européennes de l’éducation par le sport ont permis à un large public de communiquer sur deux thèmes majeurs : « Sport et discriminations en Europe » et « Le sport à l’épreuve de la diversité culturelle. Intégration et dialogue interculturel». Deux publications relatives à ces thèmes seront éditées par le Conseil de l’Europe en collaboration avec l’Université de Strasbourg et disponibles à la fin de l’année 2009.

EPAS / Ministerial Conference December 2008 The 11th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport was successfully held in Athens on 11 and 12 December 2008, at the invitation of the Greek Government. Programme Participants Adopted Resolution Nr 1 - Ethics in Sport Adopted Resolution Nr 2 - Autonomy in sport Adopted Resolution Nr 3 - Current Political Issues on the Pan-European Sports Co-operation The main theme of the Conference was "Ethics and Autonomy in Sport". The Conference also looked at current political issues, namely European co-operation in the fight against doping and European representation in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) bodies. Mr Jaime Lissavetzky, Spain’s State Secretary responsible for Sport, was appointed as the European member of the Advisory Committee of WADA for the period 2009-2010. At the end of the Conference, the Ministers adopted three draft resolutions (on ethics in sport, autonomy in sport and pan-European co-operation in sport) relating to the priorities expressed by EPAS member states in consultation with the sport movement.  The international organisations and the sport movement expressed their wish to continue their very close co-operation with EPAS.