The Network of Magistrates / Prosecutors Responsible for Sports (MARS) set up under the Council of Europe's Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) held its second meeting on 18 and 19 September 2023 in Paris, France.
The meeting started on 18 September with a Conference, hosted by the French Ministry of Justice, which aimed to raise awareness about the latest trends in threats and challenges to sport integrity with a focus on the manipulation of sports competitions, anti-doping, and safety, security and service at major sports events, and the related actions needed in investigations and prosecutions.
Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Éric Dupond-Moretti, French Minister of Justice, and Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, French Minister of Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Games addressed the Conference and were welcomed, along with the participants, in the Court of Appeal of Paris by Marie-Suzanne Le Quéau, Paris General Prosecutor. The speakers addressed the strengthening of judicial efforts in the fight against doping, the implementation of an integrated approach linking safety, security and service, and the exploration of possible links between match-fixing and sports betting.
The restricted session of the Network, hosted by the French Ministry of Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Games, focused on setting the governance of the Network and sharing expertise and best practices.
Council of Europe press release (also available in French and Spanish)
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