ECA attended meeting of the EU's Sports Structured Dialogue

Discussions at the lunch meeting focused on the "Sports-related aspects of on-line betting". The meeting was hosted by the Hungarian State Secretary for Sport, Attila Czene, whose country currently holds the Presidency of the EU. Participants included Commissioner Vassiliou, a number of EU Sports Ministers, MEPs and stakeholders with a direct interest in the matter including UEFA and FIFA.

Michele Centenaro was able to provide ECA's views on the matter explaining that the emergence of on-line gambling called for proper regulation in order to minimise the risk of match-fixing. He also highlighted the fact that there was a need for Intellectual Property Rights of competition organisers and participants (clubs) to be properly recognised something which at present is not the case and that it was essential to establish a harmonised EU policy so that rules apply in a similar manner in all of the EU's Member States.

In the coming weeks, ECA will respond formally to the European Commission's demands to provide its views on the recently adopted Green Paper on on-line gambling in the EU.