Information Documents
SG/Inf(2022)2

11 January 2022________________________________________________________________The Council of Europe and Sport
Strategic Priorities for 2022-25________________________________________________________________

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Sport and societySport plays an increasingly important role in society and in people’s lives. Sport is an essential partof democracy. Its social, health and economic dimensions are gaining more and more attention,positioning sport as an important policy arena. As mentioned in the decision adopted at the131st Session of the Committee of Ministers (Hamburg, 21 May 2021), the wide mandate of theCouncil of Europe covers a range of important activities, including sport.
Through sport, it is possible to touch millions of people, convey values and change attitudes andbehaviours. At the same time, sport also faces complex and ever-evolving threats, for example
doping, violence at sports events, manipulation of competitions, corruption and human rights
violations. The scale of which sport is commercialised globally may also prove to be a hurdle whenit comes to promoting it as a values-based activity with a focus on human rights.
The Council of Europe’s role in the field of sport
The Council of Europe will remain a driving force to ensure that human rights are embedded into
sport and through it in our societies.
Two main tools are used:
The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS): this unique forum for intergovernmental
sports co-operation and dialogue between public authorities, sports federations and NGOs
develops policies and standards making sport more ethical, more inclusive and safer. It also
benefits from a consultative body made up of representatives from the sport movement/civilsociety, currently 29 sport organisations. With the recent accession of Italy, Turkey and Ukraine,
the EPAS is comprised of 41 member states, including three non-Council of Europe memberstates.
Thematic conventionso

Against doping (1989);oAgainst the manipulation of sport competitions – the Macolin Convention (2014);

oFor safety, security and service at sport events – the Saint-Denis Convention (2016) (whichbuilds upon and is expected to replace the 1985 Convention on Spectator Violence).

With the involvement of a wide range of countries, including several from outside Europe, as well
as global support for these conventions from various sports organisations, these legal frameworks
make an important contribution in creating a better sporting environment and ensuring greaterrespect for democratic processes, human rights and the rule of law.
Co-operation with other Council of Europe sectors and institutions has also been
instrumental in achieving results in areas such as gender equality, children’s rights, access tojustice, inclusion of migrants, economic and social rights, freedom of expression and dataprotection, as well as in the fight against discrimination, trafficking in human beings and corruption.
The European Court of Human Rights delivers legally binding judgments in sports-related cases.
In addition, the Parliamentary Assembly has traditionally played a very active role in the field ofsports. This is a clear added value of the Council of Europe in the world of sports.
A number of Joint Programmes with the European Union and assistance projects financed
by voluntary contributions also help to promote the Council of Europe standards and values in
the context of sport.

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Three main strategic priorities
In line with the Secretary General’s Strategic Framework for the Council of Europe, and decisions
taken by the Committee of Ministers at the Ministerial Session in Hamburg, the strategic priorities
for the four-year period (2022-2025) to enhance sport as a values-based activity with a clear focus
on human rights are:•Firmly place the protection of human rights and respect for the rule of law in sports, inparticular in the fight against corruption, on the agenda of both governments and sports
organisations, including fostering changes in legislation, policies and practices in Europe andbeyond;•Strive for major advances in the promotion of values-driven sport (through the EuropeanSports Charter), in the fight against doping, the manipulation of competitions and in ensuringsafety, security and service at sports events;•Reaffirming the Council of Europe as a reliable and key partner in addressing Europeanand global challenges in sport, influencing developments ‒ through partnership andco-operation with, among others, IOC, FIFA, UEFA, WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency),INTERPOL, UNESCO, while establishing a platform for effective co-operation between
governments and sports organisations, as well as serving several other important networks
such as the OneVoice Platform, the Group of Copenhagen and the International Partnershipagainst Corruption in Sport.

Work and main deliverables
EPAS
The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) provides a pan-European platform forintergovernmental co-operation in sport on both political and technical levels. The EPAS develops
policies and standards to promote sport in member states and to make it more ethical, inclusiveand safe.
The partial agreement provides capacity building to public authorities and the sports movement. It
supports the exchange of good practices between governments and sports organisations. TheEPAS also monitors the European Sports Charter and other relevant recommendations of theCommittee of Ministers.
In promoting good governance, the EPAS supports the implementation of the principles oftransparency, integrity, democracy, and solidarity, and puts in place control mechanisms to ensureaccountability. In order to uphold and promote the positive values of sport, the EPAS will continue
to invest in the elimination of discrimination and violence associated with sport. Over the next four
years there will be a particular focus on promoting the effective implementation of the EuropeanSports Charter, using it as the backbone of the EPAS’ programme and enhancing its monitoring.
The EPAS will also aim to strengthen its co-operation with the relevant intergovernmental bodies
which provide expertise in areas where human rights issues have been identified.
The period 2022-2025 will be crucial for consolidating the sustainability of the EPAS.
The European Sports Charter (ESC) is a key Council of Europe tool. It provides guidance tomember states on how to improve their existing sports related legislations and policies, and lays
down basic principles for national sports policies, which enable governments to ensure that sport
is practised in line with well-defined conditions.

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The ESC has been, and still is, a reference point for the development of sport in Europe since thefirst version of the text was adopted in 1976, and countries and sports have benefited from theprinciples and values it enshrines. Its previous revision was carried out 20 years ago, in 2001.
The process to start revising the ESC was initiated in 2018 in Tbilisi at the 15th Council of Europe
Conference of Ministers responsible for sport, which, through its adopted resolutions, invited theEPAS to consider reviewing the ESC. The 16th Ministerial Conference (online, concluded inFebruary 2021) endorsed the progress made and gave further guidance for the completion of therevision process. On 13 October 2021, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendationon the Revised European Sports Charter. The revised Charter will be an essential reference tool
over the next few years for developing national sports policies on the European continent, as has
been the case with the previous versions adopted in 1976, 1992 and 2001. Driven by the need toenable sport to deliver its benefits, such as health, inclusion and education, the revised Charterstrongly emphasises the concept of sport for all. It formulates the principle of a “Right to Sport” thateveryone should enjoy and also develops and clarifies the values that should underpin all sports
activities and be conveyed through sport: human rights, sport integrity and sustainability.
Finally, the EPAS also works in close co-operation with sport committees on issues of commoninterest, in particular the promotion of an holistic sports integrity policy, as well as the fight against
racism and hate speech, the right to a fair trial and the protection of whistle-blowers, as well as thefight against corruption in sport. The EPAS also regularly co-operates with international partners
including the EU, UNESCO and the UNODC.
The Council of Europe work on anti-doping is organised around two committees – the Monitoring
Group of the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention (T-DO) and the Ad hoc European
Committee for the World Anti-Doping Agency (CAHAMA). These two committees carry out
interrelated activities while having a different legal status (ad hoc intergovernmental committee set
up by the Committee of Ministers and directly answerable to it on the one hand, and conventional
committee on the other).
The Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention (T-DO)
The T-DO, the statutory body under the Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention (1989),
with 52 States Parties and several observers, is primarily responsible for monitoring theimplementation of the Convention, interpreting its provisions and providing targeted technicalassistance to States Parties. It also plays an active role in the national and international
harmonisation of measures to be taken against doping.
At policy and strategic planning level, the T-DO co-operates with leading organisations in the fightagainst doping ‒ WADA, the IOC, UNESCO and the EU ‒ to harmonise international standards,
rules, regulations, recommendations and guidelines, to share knowledge and good practices andto ensure complementarity of actions.
Among the T-DO’s priorities for action are:-the further improvement of the evaluation process and implementation of the Anti-Doping
Convention including through evaluation visits and reports1;-

the setting-up of a platform enabling the meaningful participation of athletes and athletes’organisations in policy development and implementation;

1 The consequences of the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) decision (17 December 2020) regarding RUSADA’s non-compliancewith the World Anti-Doping Code is also addressed in this framework.

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the development and implementation of general principles of fair procedure applicable toanti-doping proceedings;-

the promotion of gender equality in the field of anti-doping;-

the further development of co-operation with the CAHAMA.

CAHAMAThe CAHAMA is an ad hoc intergovernmental committee established by a decision of theCommittee of Ministers. Its primary responsibilities are to develop positions of European
governments on matters related to the functioning of WADA, to oversee the implementation ofthese positions and to advise the Committee of Ministers on WADA-related matters.
The CAHAMA includes 50 members, all of which are state parties to the European CulturalConvention.
Finally, the Secretariat also co-operates closely with the OneVoice Platform – a co-ordination
mechanism established by representatives of public authorities, from all five continents, on theWADA statutory bodies who ensure the development of informed positions. The role of this informal
global co-ordination is important to sustain the efforts needed to secure the efficient involvement
and strong voice of public authorities within WADA.
In the last five years, activities related to CAHAMA/WADA have seen a considerable evolution fromboth technical and political perspectives. The development of global anti-doping policies has beenat the centre of attention of many governments around the world. These issues also enjoyconsiderable public and media interest. Currently, as there is no indication that this trend willchange, in years to come, the Council of Europe will focus on the following issues:-

the ongoing WADA governance reform;-

the representation of athletes and national anti-doping organisations within WADA’s
governing bodies;-increased co-ordination among public authorities, as well as a constructive dialogue
between public authorities, WADA and sports organisations;-the implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code and international standards, as well as
the development of relevant new standards and policies.

The above-mentioned issues have considerably increased the workload of the CAHAMA and its
secretariat. For example, the number of CAHAMA meeting days has more than doubled in recentyears. Moreover, WADA’s scope of work is now a very dynamic and complex cross-sectoral
combination of technical and political issues, where developments can take place and decisions
often have to be taken extremely quickly.
The political nature of anti-doping issues (direct involvement of Ministers and senior officials fromdifferent governments and sport organisations) and the role of the Deputy Secretary General, as
the Council of Europe’s representative on the WADA Foundation Board, also entails considerable
involvement of the Private Office of the Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General inanti-doping issues.

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The Council of Europe’s core values may not necessarily be reflected in the organisational
structures and regulations of sports federations based in Europe. This is certainly the case whenit comes to the human rights of athletes2 in relation to disciplinary and appeal bodies in sports.
Therefore, the Organisation can play a key role in improving the system, such as to ensure theprinciple of separation of powers, so that disciplinary and appeal bodies are truly independent andfree from conflicts of interest, while at the same time, respecting the autonomy and self-governanceof sports federations. The Council of Europe has for some time worked on developing a set ofgeneral principles of fair procedure applicable to anti-doping proceedings in sport. This
reinforces its strong commitment to the rule of law in sport and the ensuing need to guarantee
effective access to justice and a fair trial in the context of the anti-doping measures required bynational legislation and international law, including the UNESCO Convention against Doping inSport and by the World Anti-Doping Code. In this process, there has been a focus on the removalof obstacles to effective access to justice, as a key element in securing equal opportunities for allathletes, regardless of gender.
The Macolin Committee
The Macolin Convention is the only legally binding international text on combating the manipulationof sports competitions. It provides a common legal framework for efficient international
co-operation to respond to this global threat, requesting public authorities to co-operate with sports
organisations, betting operators and competition organisers to prevent, detect and punish themanipulation of sports competitions.
The Convention currently3 has seven states parties (Greece, Italy, Norway, Portugal, the Republicof Moldova, Switzerland and Ukraine) and high priority should be given to increasing the numberof parties enabling ratification by more member states and accession by the European Union, aswell as promoting accession by non-European countries.
The Macolin Committee has already started working on a number of priority areas: the promotionof the Convention, the evaluation of its implementation, the definition of the list of sports
organisations and the integration of the Network of National Platforms (“the Group of Copenhagen”)
as its advisory group.
The Saint-Denis Committee
The Saint-Denis Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football
Matches and Other Sports Events promotes co-operation between all public and private
stakeholders involved in making sports events safe, secure and welcoming, including local
communities and supporters.
The Saint-Denis Committee is the body established to monitor compliance with the Convention
and to provide support and advise on its implementation, its overall aim being to protect participants
at sports events in Europe and beyond.
The Saint-Denis Committee constitutes a unique international platform for exchanging knowledge
and experience, sharing good practices and developing co-operation on safety, security andservice at football matches and other sports events.

2

See also the online course developed by the Council of Europe Programme on Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals(HELP), “Human Rights in Sport” (available at help.elearning.ext.coe.int)
3
State of ratifications on 10 January 2022.

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SG/Inf(2022)2The Committee will focus its first actions on establishing a solid and effective monitoringmechanism, providing focused policy advice, notably ensuring that the protection of human rights
and the fight against hate speech, racism and discrimination are duly integrated in the various
policies and actions.
UEFA, FIFA and IOC
The Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between the Council of Europe and, respectively,
UEFA and FIFA, provide dynamic frameworks for more structured and enhanced co-operation, inareas such as good governance, combating corruption, protection and promotion of human rights(including anti-discrimination) and the promotion of Council of Europe conventions (including boththe Macolin and Saint-Denis Conventions). As regards co-operation with FIFA, there will also be aparticular focus on safeguarding children in football and the ongoing reform of the transfer system
initiated by FIFA, with the aim of introducing more transparency, accountability and a fairer
distribution of financial resources within the football pyramid.
As regards UEFA, there is a focus on promoting good governance and key Council of Europe
conventions, including a culture of clean sport and combating match fixing, as well as on fighting
discrimination, developing grassroots sports and a social responsibility strategy.
The Council of Europe has also strengthened its co-operation with the IOC, with a focus on issues
relating to athletes’ rights, sports integrity (including the fight against corruption and themanipulation of sports competitions) and human rights in general.
The Council of Europe’s vision
Our starting point is a clear focus on Council of Europe values:“Human rights, the rule of law and good governance are embedded in and advanced
through sport in Europe and beyond.”
The mission should highlight the Council of Europe’s added value, position it internationally andshow how it can help the key stakeholders, governments and sports organisations, to realise thisvision:“To assist and advise governments and sports organisations to advance human rights,
the rule of law and democracy in and through sport, while acknowledging that the Councilof Europe is a platform for the development, monitoring and implementation of standards
and policies for safe, ethical and inclusive sport.”