A team of Council of Europe experts carried out an evaluation visit in Spain to assess its entire anti-doping system, from sample collection and processing to disciplinary and educational measures. Held on 18-20 October 2022, the visit ultimately aimed at evaluating how Spain implements the Anti-Doping Convention, which entered into force in the country in 1992, few days before the Barcelona Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The team met with the stakeholders playing an active role in the fight against doping, such as high-level representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Sport; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Function, the Supreme Council for Sports (CSD); the Spanish Commission for the Fight Against Doping in Sport (CELAD); law enforcement authorities (Civil Guard and National Police); the Spanish Agencies for Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) and for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN); the Department of Customs and Special Taxes and the Olympic and Paralympic Committees.

The team’s composition reflects the vast geographical and institutional scope of the Convention and its State Parties: Pia Haschke (Anti-Doping Expert, Austria, Head of the Evaluation Team), Graham Arthur (Anti-Doping Expert, UK, Rapporteur), Sara-Ioana Saragea (Romanian Anti-Doping Agency), David Cowan (Laboratory Expert, UK) and Martin Holmlund Lauesen (Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency). The team analysed how the reality of the anti-doping system in Spain aligns with the provisions of the Anti-Doping Convention.

The findings and good practices identified during the visit will be gathered in an evaluation report. It will be proposed for adoption by the T-DO in early 2023, and subsequently transmitted to the Spanish authorities for the implementation of its tailored recommendations.

Evaluations are part of the Monitoring Group (T-DO)’s mandate. Each year it analyses the anti-doping system of its State Parties through a questionnaire and several of such evaluation visits.

• Evaluation visits: reports by the Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention (T-DO)