How to implement the Convention?

The Saint-Denis Convention is complemented by the related Recommendation Rec(2021)1, adopted in April 2021 by the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events (or Saint-Denis Committee). It is the synthesis and update of all recommendations adopted by the Standing Committee of the Spectator Violence Convention across more than 3 decades. It supports the Convention and explains how to implement it in a very detailed manner, by presenting established and recommended best practices.

This Recommendation is undoubtedly the ideal supplement to interpret the articles of the Convention. Thanks to its four annexes below, each state can evaluate to which extent its safety, security and service arrangements for football matches and other sport events comply with good practices described in the Recommendation.

The Recommendation should be revised and updated by the Committee on a regular basis, and possibly complemented by other recommendations on new specific and transversal topics.

 Core principles set out in the recommendation

Annex A: Safety – Recommended Good Practices

Annex B: Security – Recommended Good Practices (updated on 2025)

Annex C: Service – Recommended Good Practices 

Annex D: Checklists

Spanish version (2015)

T-S4 Recommendation Rec (2022) 1 of the Saint-Denis Committee on a Model structure of a national strategy on safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events

Adopted by the Saint-Denis Committee on 1 September 2022, this Recommendation aims at supporting States Parties in complying with their obligation to develop national and local strategies, to be regularly evaluated and refined in the light of national and international experience and good practices (Article 4.4 of the Convention). This document identifies a list of 10 issues which comprise a model structure of a national strategy on safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events.

T-S4 Recommendation Rec (2022) 2 of the Saint-Denis Committee on a Model national legislative and regulatory framework on safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events

This Recommendation, which was adopted by the Saint-Denis Committee on 1 September 2022, is based on the provision of the Convention that requires States Parties to ensure that their legal, regulatory or administrative frameworks clarify the roles of the relevant agencies (Article 4.5 of the Convention). Its aim is to provide a model legislative and regulatory framework that facilitates the task of States Parties who wish to adopt of refine their national laws on safety, security and safety at football matches and other sports events (Annex 1), as well as their national regulations on stewarding and private security at these events (Annex 2).

T-S4 Recommendation Rec(2025)1 recalls that all persons have the right to travel and attend football matches and other sports events, while respecting the laws and regulations, and to be treated in a safe, secure and welcoming manner, while acknowledging that bans have the potential to infringe human rights.

Moreover, the Recommendation calls States to prioritise individual accountability over collective restrictions, and to apply collective bans only in exceptional circumstances, where such a measure is necessary to maintain public order and safety.

Finally, the Recommendation invites States to establish transparent legal frameworks that define the criteria and procedures for imposing collective bans, ensuring due process, stakeholders’ consultation and the right to appeal.

T-S4 Recommendation Rec (2025)2 proposes several ways to improve the current situation, such as for example:

• States should work toward harmonising their legal frameworks governing the possession, use and sale of pyrotechnic devices;
• National and European law enforcement agencies, sports authorities and pyrotechnic manufacturers should strengthen cooperation to exchange information, develop best practices and coordinate efforts in preventing and countering the use of pyrotechnics at sports events;
• The use of innovative technologies should be further explored to deter and detect the possession and use of pyrotechnics in and around sports venues, subject to strict compliance with legal and human rights safeguards;
• Targeted education campaigns should be designed to raise awareness of the dangers of pyrotechnics and a structured dialogue should be established between police forces, clubs and supporters' associations to promote a safe fan culture and reduce pyrotechnics misuse;
• Stewards, police and other stadium personnel should receive enhanced training in pyrotechnic-related risks; and
• Invites States to incorporate these recommendations into their national legislation, strategies, and operational planning.

@fot. Bartosz Kałużny / CKiPR UŁ

Sporting events, due to their high attendance, visibility and symbolic value, are exposed to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRN-E) hazards. The prevention and management of these risks requires a comprehensive, integrated and proportionate approach, in line with the multi-agency approach of the Saint-Denis Convention.

Recommendation T-S4 Rec (2026)1 proposes that Governments adopt or refine their legal frameworks and public policies to respond to them.

The first priority is the explicit integration of CBRN-E risks into national legislative frameworks, public policies and guidelines, accompanied by clear minimum standards or requirements for infrastructure, equipment, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, appropriate to the level of risk and covering all phases of the event.

Multi-agency coordination is a central pillar. All stakeholders must cooperate closely. The integration of CBRN-E scenarios into operational plans, command structures and exercises is essential to ensure interoperability and effective response.

Finally, preventive measures, knowledge sharing, international cooperation and monitoring, including by the Saint-Denis Committee, are essential to ensure the coherence, effectiveness and continuous improvement of CBRN-E arrangements.

The T-S4 Recommendation (2026)2, adopted by the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events (Saint-Denis Committee) on 28 May 2026, provides a comprehensive blueprint to strengthen the safety and service aspects at football matches and other sports events. This recommendation seeks to rebalance the pillars of the Saint-Denis Convention by bringing safety and service to an equal footing with security, fostering an integrated, multiagency, and human-rights-based approach to managing sports events. The aim is to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances, can attend and enjoy sporting events in a welcoming environment that is safe, accessible, and respectful of human rights.

The Recommendation outlines key principles for both safety and service tenets. On safety, it emphasises management’s responsibility to protect everyone present, understanding and respecting the venue’s safe capacity, thorough risk assessment and management, prioritising high-quality design and safety management, and the necessity of collaboration among authorities and stakeholders. Similarly, service is defined as the creation of comfortable, inclusive, and enjoyable experiences for spectators - starting from ticket purchase through to their return home - by preparing welcoming environments, ensuring well-trained and positive staff, upholding the right for all to enjoy events without fear, and maintaining effective communication at all stages.

The Recommendation also includes detailed, non-binding guidance for improving these two pillars at venue, local, regional, and national levels. These guidelines encompass calculating and maintaining safe stadium capacities, thorough and inclusive risk assessments, the critical consideration of the areas around venues (“Zone Ex”), proactive event personnel engagement, inclusive service provision for all - especially addressing the needs of women, children, persons with disabilities, and minority groups - and responding to public health considerations. Facilities and policies must be regularly reviewed and adapted to be inclusive of demographic changes and evolving societal expectations.

Finally, the Recommendation encourages its adaptation at the national level, calls for continuous dissemination, monitoring, and technical support from the Saint-Denis Committee, and invites all stakeholders to cultivate an ongoing culture of improvement and shared responsibility. By implementing these essentials and guidelines, governments and stakeholders can better ensure that sporting events across Europe and beyond are not only secure but truly safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all participants and spectators.

ECRI's General Policy Recommendation No.12 on combating racism and racial discrimination in the field of sport, sets out a wide range of measures that the governments of member States are advised to adopt in order to successfully combat racism and racial discrimination in the field of sport. ECRI's suggestions as to how this can be achieved cover, among other things, ensuring that adequate legal provisions are in place to combat racial discrimination and to penalise racist acts and providing training to the police to enable them to identify, deal with and prevent racist behaviour at sporting events.

According to ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No. 15, hate speech is based on the unjustified assumption that a person or a group of persons are superior to others; it incites acts of violence or discrimination, thus undermining respect for minority groups and damaging social cohesion. In this recommendation, ECRI calls for speedy reactions by public figures to hate speech; promotion of self-regulation of media; raising awareness of the dangerous consequences of hate speech; withdrawing financial and other support from political parties that actively use hate speech; and criminalising its most extreme manifestations, while respecting freedom of expression. Anti-hate speech measures must be well-founded, proportionate, non-discriminatory, and not be misused to curb freedom of expression or assembly nor to suppress criticism of official policies, political opposition and religious beliefs.