The first consultative visit took place in Baku, Azerbaijan

On the occasion of a Nations League match between Azerbaijan and Malta, the Standing Committee of the European Convention on Spectator Violence organised its first visit to a country who will host the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament.

The aim of this visit was two-folded: first to help the Azerbaijani authorities assessing their needs for this upcoming competition and also to support them in their process of ratification of the new Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events (CETS No. 218) and further prepare its implementation at national level.

A team of international experts from Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Turkey and the United Kingdom, accompanied by some observers to the Convention as UEFA and Supporters Direct Europe, along with the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, visited Baku on 14-15 October 2018 to meet all important stakeholders: representatives from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Sport, the Football Association and the Premier League clubs, with a view to exchanging on their policies and practices in the field of safety, security and service at sports events.

This visit also assisted the authorities in preparing the Europa League Final on 29 May 2019, which will be hosted in the Baku Olympic stadium.