At its 8th meeting in Rennes (France, 17-19 June 2019), the Network of National Platforms for Combating Sports Manipulation (Group of Copenhagen) validated the provisions of a protocol for monitoring the Women's World Football Championship, which now allows it to participate in the work of the "Task Force Integrity" implemented by FIFA for this type of major event. The network also tackled other pressing issues such as the protection of personal data when exchanging information and the listing of the various types of manipulation of sports competitions.
The establishment of National Platforms is a requirement of the Council of Europe Convention against the manipulation of Sports competitions (the Macolin Convention). The Group of Copenhagen was created to support the development of such platforms and to collectively address the challenges they face.
The meeting was opened by the Mayor of Rennes, Ms Nathalie Appéré, the French Minister of Sports, Ms Roxana Maracineanu, the Director-General of Democracy at the Council of Europe, Ms Snežana Samardžić-Marković and the FIFA Secretary General, Ms Fatma Samoura. This high-level panel stressed the indispensable involvement of public authorities in implementing the objectives of the Macolin Convention and the political and strategic dimension of the National Platforms which are making possible the cooperation amongst key national and international stakeholders to fight effective against the manipulation of sport competitions.
The meeting in Rennes was hosted by the French National Platform during the French Presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. Representatives from 23 Council of Europe member states as well as from Australia, Canada, the United States of America (FBI), Liberia, Morocco and INTERPOL who have participated in the works have also attended the match France-Nigeria on 17 June.
