The European Conference on Integrity in Sport took place on 6 and 7 December, organized by ‘EPAS-Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport, and the Italian Department for Sport, within the framework of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Theme of the meeting: integrity, intrinsically linked to the question of ethics in sport. Among the objectives, the elaboration of guidelines for integrity in sport; the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions, as reiterated in the Convention of Macolin; the guarantee of good governance in sport. The event was opened by the Secretary of State for Sport, Valentina Vezzali, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Bjørn Berge.
The conference discussed how to implement integrity guidelines, combat manipulation of sports competitions and ensure good governance in sport. Sessions over the two days reiterated the need for a comprehensive response to the various issues that threaten integrity in sport, such as doping, fraud, disruption in procurement, and illegal practices that affect the values of sport. In light of these issues, it seems essential to promote good governance in sport, focusing on transparency and a holistic approach. Sport, in fact, is not only competition, but reflects society and its problems.
The conference primarily targeted government authorities from a wide range of sectors, including sports ministries, anti-corruption authorities, foreign affairs departments, law enforcement agencies, national data protection offices, sports integrity agencies, betting regulators, the justice sector.
“When we talk about sports and integrity we should also talk about the principle of non-discrimination in access to sports. On the contrary, we still detect a lot of institutional discrimination, as is the case with the participation of foreigners in various sports leagues at all levels, including amateur, and even more so of refugees and asylum seekers … Unscrupulous individuals seek out talent in the poorest areas of Africa and Latin America and then bring them to Europe for success and money. If they do not obtain results, they abandon them on the street. Over time, the various solutions designed to curb this phenomenon have ended up penalizing only the athletes, who have had to present complex documentation related to residency, having to prove that they have a job and have not previously been registered in another state. It would be necessary to promote welcoming policies to prevent abuses and criminal operations right in the folds of these situations of non-inclusion,” said Daniela Conti on the sidelines of the meeting (UISP).
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