International Conference

Limiting the Availability of Doping Substances in Europe: A Shared Responsibility

The widespread and growing availability of doping substances in Europe with their mounting use in recreational sports is emerging as a public health problem.

The associated health risks are grave, and tackling this issue requires combined efforts and shared responsibility. The conference will convene key stakeholders - including representatives from public authorities, anti-doping organisations, the sports sector, law enforcement, and pharmaceutical industries from across Europe and beyond. The conference will examine the current situation regarding the availability of doping substances, discuss effective responses, and strengthen cooperation for clean sport and public health.

International Conference

28 May 2026

Stade Jean Bouin
20-40 Av. du Général Sarrail
75016 Paris, FRANCE

Agenda
Resources
Objectives of the Conference
Background
Contact
Practical information
Doping and Public Health

Registration is subject to confirmation by the organisers.

Agenda

08:00 – 09:00 REGISTRATION

09:00 – 09:20 OPENING SESSION

Moderator: Andy PARKINSON

Practical information by the Moderator

Opening statements:

Hanne JUNCHER, Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
Olivier RABIN, Senior Director, Science and Medicine, WADA

09:20 – 10:00 INTRODUCTION - Stocktaking, facts and figures

Introduction to the event’s objectives by the Moderator

Video presentation by Marc JACKSON, member of the Committee of the Parties to the MEDICRIME Convention of the Council of Europe
“An assessment of publicly reported incidents of the availability and use of doping substances in recreational sport”

Key-note speech by Professor Susan BACKHOUSE, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University
“Under the influence: the hidden forces driving doping in sport”

10:00 – 11:45 PANEL 1 - Current situation of access to doping substances in Europe

10:00 - 10:45 – Interventions by panellists:

Lars ENGEBRETSEN, Head of Medical Sciences in the International Olympic Committee, Professor at Oslo University Clinic
Pavle ZELIĆ, Chair of the European Committee on Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Care, Council of Europe
Verica TRBIC, Vice President, Committee of the Parties to the MEDICRIME Convention, Council of Europe
John MCLAUGHLIN, Intelligence and Investigation project, WADA
Jukka KOSKELO, Research & Development Director, A-Clinic Foundation (Finland)
Roberts LAURIS, Latvian Anti-Doping Bureau LAT-NADO

10:45 – 11:15 COFFEE BREAK

11:15 – 11:45 Q&A AND DISCUSSION

Facilitated by Moderator and interactive online tools

11:50 – 13:00 PANEL 2 - Good practices and potential solutions for limiting access to doping substances

Moderator: Andy PARKINSON

11:50 - 12:30 – Interventions by panellists

Kim RAVN, CEO, Anti-Doping Denmark
Sarah ADAM, Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs, International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA)
Olivier RABIN, Senior Director, Science and Medicine, WADA
Francisco MEIRELES PORTUGAL, Anti-Corruption Coordinator, Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, INTERPOL
Mikko LEMETTILÄ, Expert, Doctoral researcher, A-Clinic Foundation (Finland)
Catherine MACLEAN, Director, Communications, WADA

12:30 - 13:00 – Q&A and DISCUSSION

Facilitated by the Moderator and interactive online tools

13:00 – 14:30 LUNCH & NETWORKING

14:30 – 16:00 INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS - Defining strategies, strengthening cooperation, sharing responsibility

Demand reduction & awareness
Quality & supply control and health protection
Detection & law enforcement
Coordination & governance

16:00 – 16:30 COFFEE BREAK

16:30 – 17:15 FINAL PANEL - Consolidating recommendations into conclusions

Chairs and Rapporteurs of interactive workshops

17:15 – 17:30 CLOSING SESSION

Olivier RABIN, WADA, Senior Director, Science and Medicine
Jean-Yves LOURGOUILLOUX, President of the Council of Europe MARS (Magistrates Responsible for Sport) Network
Gustavo MERINO, UNESCO, Executive Secretary of the International Convention against Doping in Sport, Director for Social Policies and Inclusion
Michał RYNKOWSKI, Director Polish Anti-doping Agency (POLADA), and Chair of the Council of Europe Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention

Resources

Objectives of the Conference

The Conference aims to:

Raise awareness of the continued availability of doping substances and the risks posed by illicit production.
Clarify the role of each actor and strengthen their engagement in the fight against doping substances.
Enhance cooperation between public authorities, WADA, the sports movement, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Showcase effective public health, law enforcement practices and cross-border collaboration.
Advance the implementation of the Recommendation on measures to address the risks of doping in recreational sport
Contribute to the drafting and future implementation of the T-DO Recommendation on criminal and administrative measures.
Promote synergies between T-DO and MEDICRIME networks, and deepen cooperation with the pharmaceutical sector.

Background

The Anti-Doping Convention requires States Parties to adopt legislative, regulatory, or administrative measures to limit the supply of banned substances, especially anabolic steroids. The accompanying Explanatory Report highlights the need to dismantle organised trafficking networks.

To support implementation, the Committee of Ministers adopted Recommendation Rec(2000)16 on common legal principles for combating doping-agent trafficking. Complementary provisions are also found in the Council of Europe Convention on the Counterfeiting of Medical Products and Similar Crimes involving Threats to Public Health (MEDICRIME Convention, CETS No. 211).

However, national approaches vary widely. Some States rely on criminal law, others on administrative or disciplinary measures. The level of cooperation between law enforcement, regulatory authorities, and anti-doping organisations also differs significantly.

International Conference on Doping and Public Health

If you are interested in practical examples of addressing the rise of doping outside organised sport, we invite you to participate in the International Conference on Doping and Public Health, which will take place in Helsinki, Finland (1-2 December 2026).

As organisers of both conferences, we are working together to ensure that the events complement each other. We are committed to sharing outcomes with stakeholders and networks from both constituencies.

Learn more and register »

Back Gustavo MERINO

Director for Social Policies, UNESCO, Social and Human Sciences Sector, Division for Social Policies

Gustavo Merino has been serving as Director of Social Polices at UNESCO since January 2024.

He has held senior positions in the Government of Mexico including Deputy Minister of Social and Human Development, Deputy Minister for Prospective, Planning and Evaluation at the Ministry of Social Development. He was also General Director of Mexico's national development bank for agriculture and rural areas, Financiera Rural. At the FAO he was Director of the Investment Centre Division. He has also been Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Government for Mexico City Region of Tenológico de Monterrey where he also led the Research Centre on Public Policy and Health at the School of Government and the Public Policy Unit of the Institute for Obesity Research. He was also Professor of Economics and Director for at Instituto Tenológico Autónomo de Mexico (ITAM) in Mexico City and Director oits Centre for Public Policy Research. He has a master's and PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University and a BA in Economics from ITAM

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