News - Legislative Moves Towards the Adaptation and Implementation of European Standards in Sports Were Discussed at a Workshop Conference 'European Acquis Communautaire Standards in Sports and their implementation into Ukrainian Legislation in the Context of Forthcoming EURO 2012 European Football Championship Finals'

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Legislative Moves Towards the Adaptation and Implementation of European Standards in Sports Were Discussed at a Workshop Conference 'European Acquis Communautaire Standards in Sports and their implementation into Ukrainian Legislation in the Context of Forthcoming EURO 2012 European Football Championship Finals'

Published on 27 November 2007, at 16:57

This Conference was initiated by the Legislation Institute at The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, together with The Ukrainian Football Federation. The event was organised with assistance from The Ukrainian Ministry for Family Issues, Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism, The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice, The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, The European Commission, and The International Sports Law Centre at the International Law Institute (Netherlands). Financial support was provided by the European Commission's Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX).

The matching of Ukrainian with European Law, and suggestions as to their approximation were defined as key issues for discussion, during which Legislators, those who practice these Laws, and Experts exchanged experiences in the legal regulation of the Sports sector.

'Success in the preparations for EURO 2012 will act as a trial run for our country prior to being presented to the European and International Community,' the President of The Football Federation Hryhoriy Surkis stressed when opening the Conference,

Director of the Legislation Institute at The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Olexander Kopylenko, presiding at the Conference, emphasized that this event resulted from concentrated efforts bringing together The Legislation Institute at The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, The Asser International Sports Law Centre (Netherlands) and The Centre for Sports Law Research at Edge Hill University (Great Britain).

The Conference Delegates noted that Ukraine requires improvements to the Sports Law, as 'it presently has a number of shortcomings and gaps which could hold back the EURO 2012 preparations.'

First of all, stressed the rapporteurs, ' amendments in legislation are needed to simplify the legal tools for regulating business in several sectors of Ukrainian economy, linked directly with the arrangements for hosting the Championship, as well as the harmonization of Ukrainian legal rules with those of European law.'

Attention was paid to the experiences gained by the Republic of Poland, as a member of the European Union and Ukraine's partner in the organisation of the EURO 2012 football finals, which should be used in the legislative undertakings in Ukraine.

Also, the holding of EURO 2012 in Ukraine is a 'strong incentive for our country to create conditions for rapid development of domestic entrepreneurship in all sectors of the economy and each sphere of public life, for the attraction of large investments, the introduction of up-to-date transport, information and communication, and a social infrastructure meeting European standards, with the resulting increase in job vacancies.

Resulting from these discussions. the Conference Delegates came to the conclusion that a Task Team should be set up to include members of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Secretariat of the President of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice , and Ministry for Family Issues, Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism,

Football Federation, and the National Olympic Committee, together with other authorities, to study and summarize the proposals concerning the improvements of National Legislation on Physical Training and Sports; effect a comparative analytical study on the judicial regulation of relations in Sports within International and European Law, as well of the law of individual countries; draw a Codification Concept for National Legislation on Physical Training and Sports; and prepare a Draft Sports Code of Ukraine, together with other legislative tools..

Inter alia, Proposals will be put into motion aimed at providing the appropriate legislative regulation of the gambling business, creating the prerequisites for a centralized distribution of income from this business to direct it towards the development of Physical Training and Sports, and towards the hosting of EURO 2021 in particular.

The Conference Delegates also upheld the motion from the State Lottery Operator MSL to use State Lotteries as a source of funds towards the expenditure of hosting EURO 2012, taking as a sample the funding mechanisms used in Moscow for the Olympic Games in 1980; to adopt a Law on Lotteries and improve the legislative regulation for setting up new lotteries in our country; and to develop and adopt a Concept for the development of a gambling market for the period up to 2018.

The Conference Delegates recommend that in the preparation of Draft Legislative Acts attention is paid to ensuring that legislative provisions match those in European Union Law.