PROtect Integrity Plus Dissemination Conference in Athens

PROtect Integrity Plus Dissemination Conference in Athens

Oct 11, 2019

With our Erasmus+ PROtect Integrity Plus project concluding by the end of the year, a final event has taken place in Athens, Greece on 8th of October to share the results and outputs of the project. The conference was attended by player associations and some of the key stakeholders in the fight against match-fixing which was a great opportunity to discuss the progress and further cooperation needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROtect Integrity is a campaign started back in 2010 in cooperation with betting operators, in order to educate players about the integrity and risks of match fixing. Over the years a number of different projects have taken place under the banner, each project building up on its predecessor. PROtect Integrity Plus specifically aims to implement the Red Button reporting app, initially developed by Finish Football Players Association JPY and FIFPro, in 7 different countries and 5 sports, through the work of 8 player associations cooperating with national stakeholders.

 

In order to see how the match-fixing can affect the careers and lives of athletes, the participants have he from Samir Arab, Maltese football player banned for 2 years for not reporting an approach and Roy Vermeer from FIFPro who was representing Samir at the appeal case in CAS. The story highlights the need for more education, prevention and focus on governance of sport organizations as the sanction of Samir, considering all elements of the case, was widely regarded as unfair and disproportionate.

 

Subsequently, the results of the project so far were presented, including the Red Button app, research led by prof. David Forrest from the University of Liverpool and the grassroots sport video promoted by player associations during the European Week of Sport in order to broaden the reach of the campaign and raise awareness about the match-fixing. Player associations representatives from AJFSF (Spanish futsal), Rugby Players Ireland and PASAP (Greek volleyball) discussed their experiences and views following the implementation of the project. The case study of a fruitful cooperation between the National Platfrom and the player movement in France was also presented.

The conference concluded with a discussion panel with Matt Fowler (IBIA), Sergio D’Orsi (Europol), George Mavrotas (Greek Government), Mikhael de Thyse (Council of Europe) and Paulina Tomczyk (EU Athletes). The speakers discussed the cooperation between stakeholders in the new environment after the entry into force of the Macolin Convention.

For Paulina Tomczyk, the General Secretary of EU Athletes: ‘I find it really positive and promising for the future that some the main stakeholders in the fight against match-fixing joined the discussion and recognized the essential role that the athletes have to play in this process. We are looking forward to continuing the constructive cooperation with the key actors to protect the integrity of sport’.

 

 

 

 

 

Round table on athletes’ involvement in anti-doping

Round table on athletes’ involvement in anti-doping

Sep 9, 2019

Last week a meeting was organized in Warsaw, Poland, from the initiative of the future WADA President Witold Banka, to discuss athletes involvement in anti-doping. EU Athletes was invited alongside different athletes commissions and committees and was able to present the common views of our member player unions and athlete associations from around Europe. Our General Secretary Paulina Tomczyk underlined the right of athletes to be represented by their independent and democratic organizations as well as the need for a fair, proportionate and effective anti-doping which also respect the human rights of athletes. This initial discussion will be continued during the next meetings planned in Katowice, Poland in November 2019 and Lausanne, Switzerland.

PROtect Integrity Plus Staff Meeting

PROtect Integrity Plus Staff Meeting

Jul 1, 2019

PROtect Integrity Plus staff meeting took place on June 26th in Finland. The aim of the staff meeting was to catch-up on the implementation of the project so far, especially the roll-out of the Red Button App across project partners and to prepare for the upcoming Dissemination Conference which will take place in Athens, Greece, in October.

Complete actions include a successful social media campaign with #PROtectIntegrity and its peak on the 15th of April #EUSportIntegrityDay that is an opportunity for everyone to show their commitment to fighting match-fixing. The 2018 Code of Conduct for athletes was published on the updated PROtect Integrity website which provides further details about the project. Participants also discussed upcoming and ongoing tasks, particularly research led by prof. David Forrest from the University of Liverpool.

EPAS Governing Board and Consultative Committee Meeting

EPAS Governing Board and Consultative Committee Meeting

Jun 6, 2019

On 5th-6th of June in Strasbourg, EPAS held its annual joint meeting of the Governing Board and Consultative Committee. EPAS provides a platform for intergovernmental sports co-operation between the public authorities of its member states. It also encourages dialogue between public authorities, sports organizations and NGOs. The topics tackled during the meeting included good governance and developments of International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport (IPACS), gender equality as well as the human rights and sport. EU Athletes, who is a member of the Consultative Committee, was present to represent the voice of organized athletes on those important issues.

Executive Board Meeting in Warsaw

Executive Board Meeting in Warsaw

Jun 4, 2019

EU Athletes Board met for the second time this year in Warsaw, on the 4th of June 2019. The topics tackled included latest developments and events in the international sport policy and EU Athletes’ participation in cooperation and meetings at the European level. The board also discussed different projects that EU Athletes coordinates and participate in, including successful PROtect Integrity campaign. Next meeting will take place in October in Athens, following 2019 General Assembly.