PURPOSE: to authorise Member States to become parties, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2019/683 authorising Member States to become parties, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No 218).

CONTENT: this Council Decision authorises Member States to become parties to the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Approach to Safety, Security and Services at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No 218) concerning Article 11(2), (3) and (4) of the Convention.

The Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events was adopted at Saint-Denis on 3 July 2016 and has been open for signature and ratification since then. It aims to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment at football matches and other sports events.

The commitments stipulated in Article 11(2), (3) and (4) of the Convention, concerning national football information points (NFIPs) may affect common rules or alter their scope within the meaning of Article 3(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), as those provisions coincide with certain obligations contained in Council Decision 2002/348/JHA , which specifies the tasks of NFIPs and sets out rules for cooperation between them, in particular with respect to exchanging police information.

The Union cannot become party to the Convention, as only States may be parties thereto. Member States shall therefore be authorised to sign and ratify the Convention, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, in respect of those parts of the Convention that fall under the exclusive competence of the Union.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are taking part in the adoption of this Decision, while Denmark is not.

The European Parliament adopted by 633 votes to 22 with 14 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision authorising Member States to become parties, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security, and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No 218).

The European Parliament gave its consent to the draft Council decision.

CETS No 218 was opened for signature in July 2016. The Convention is the only internationally binding instrument establishing an institutional cooperation between all public and private stakeholders involved in organising football and other sports events.

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN (S&D, DE) on the draft Council decision authorising Member States to become parties, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security, and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No 218).

The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the draft Council decision.

The Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and other Sports Events of the Council of Europe was opened for signature in July 2016. The Convention is the only internationally binding instrument establishing an institutional cooperation between all public and private stakeholders involved in organising football and other sports events.

As stated in the explanatory memorandum accompanying the recommendation, individuals attending football matches and other sports events should always enjoy a safe, secure and welcoming environment around and at matches.

The aim of the Convention is to provide this environment via a balanced approach between the three interdependent pillars: safety, security and service.

A committee of experts will monitor the application of the Convention. The Rapporteur expresses her support that not only FIFA, UEFA, Association of European Professional Football Leagues, the EU and Interpol are involved in this Committee, but also organisations like “Football Supporters Europe” and “Supporters Direct Europe" which represent the football supporters throughout Europe.

As a study by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights indicates, "sport continues to face a number of challenges related to racism and ethnic discrimination". It is therefore important to improve diversity in sports and support initiatives by athletes themselves or their clubs to fight against any discriminations (racist or discriminatory behaviour, including frequent sexist and/or homophobic and/or transphobic insults etc.).

The Rapporteur welcomes the approach in the Convention to promote tolerance, respect and fair play and encourages the Member States to pay high attention on the implementation of this important aspect.

PURPOSE: to authorise Member States to become parties, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council can adopt the act only if the European Parliament has approved it.

BACKGROUND: the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events was adopted at Saint-Denis on 3 July 2016 and has been open for signature and ratification since then. It aims to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment at football matches and other sports events.

Article 11 of the Convention entitled ‘international co-operation’ obliges the Parties to set up a national football information point (NFIP) to act as the designated sole conduit for exchanging all information and intelligence regarding football matches with an international dimension and for arranging other matters of international police co-operation.

Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of Article 11 of the Convention, which concern national football information points, may affect common rules or alter their scope within the meaning of Article 3(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), as those provisions coincide with certain obligations contained in Council Decision 2002/348/JHA , which specifies the tasks of NFIPs and sets out rules for cooperation between them, in particular with respect to exchanging police information.

The Union cannot become party to the Convention, as only States may be parties thereto. Member States should therefore be authorised to sign and ratify the Convention, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, in respect of those parts of the Convention that fall under the exclusive competence of the Union.

CONTENT: the draft Council decision aims to authorise Member States to sign and ratify, in the interests of the Union, the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events (CETS No. 218) in respect of Article 11(2), (3) and (4) of the Convention.

Union support for the Convention is important for combating violence related to sport events and would complement the efforts already made in this field through support to projects under the sport chapter of the Erasmus+ programme.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are bound by Council Decision 2002/348/JHA, and are therefore taking part in the adoption of the decision.

PURPOSE: to authorise Member States to become parties, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council can adopt the act only if the European Parliament has approved it.

BACKGROUND: the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events was adopted at Saint-Denis on 3 July 2016 and has been open for signature and ratification since then. It aims to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment at football matches and other sports events.

Article 11 of the Convention entitled ‘international co-operation’ obliges the Parties to set up a national football information point (NFIP) to act as the designated sole conduit for exchanging all information and intelligence regarding football matches with an international dimension and for arranging other matters of international police co-operation.

Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of Article 11 of the Convention, which concern national football information points, may affect common rules or alter their scope within the meaning of Article 3(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), as those provisions coincide with certain obligations contained in Council Decision 2002/348/JHA , which specifies the tasks of NFIPs and sets out rules for cooperation between them, in particular with respect to exchanging police information.

The Union cannot become party to the Convention, as only States may be parties thereto. Member States should therefore be authorised to sign and ratify the Convention, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, in respect of those parts of the Convention that fall under the exclusive competence of the Union.

CONTENT: the draft Council decision aims to authorise Member States to sign and ratify, in the interests of the Union, the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events (CETS No. 218) in respect of Article 11(2), (3) and (4) of the Convention.

Union support for the Convention is important for combating violence related to sport events and would complement the efforts already made in this field through support to projects under the sport chapter of the Erasmus+ programme.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are bound by Council Decision 2002/348/JHA, and are therefore taking part in the adoption of the decision.

PURPOSE: to authorise Member States to become party, in the interest of the European Union, to the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security, and service approach at football matches and other sports events (CETS n°218).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: the Convention on an integrated safety, security, and service approach at football matches and other sports of the Council of Europe has been open for signature and ratification since 3 July 2016.

It aims to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment at football matches and other sports events .

The Commission considers that Union support to the Convention is important for combating violence related to sport events and would complement the efforts already made in this field through support to projects under the sport chapter of the Erasmus+ programme.

Given that the Union cannot become party to the Convention, it is necessary to adopt a decision authorising Member States to sign and ratify the Convention in the interests of the Union.

CONTENT: by the present proposal for a Council Decision, Member States shall be authorised to become Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on an integrated safety, security, and service approach at football matches and other sports events (CETS No 218) in respect of those parts falling under the exclusive competence of the Union.

The United Kingdom and Ireland shall participate in the adoption of the Decision. Denmark shall not.

The Convention requires the Parties to:

adopt an integrated, multi-agency and balanced approach towards safety, security and service , that is to say, an approach based on the notion that safety, security and service measures at football matches and other sports events invariably overlap, are interrelated in terms of impact, need to be balanced and cannot be designed or implemented in isolation; ensure national and local co-ordination arrangements for the purpose of developing and implementing a multi-agency integrated approach to safety, security and service; take various measures with a view to ensuring safety, security and service inside sports stadiums ; for example, they must ensure that stadiums’ operating arrangements make provision for effective liaison with the police and with emergency services and other partner agencies, and incorporate policies and procedures on matters such as racist or discriminatory behaviour; encourage all relevant agencies and stakeholders to work together to create a safe, secure and welcoming environment in public places outside stadiums and ensure that relevant agencies develop contingency and emergency plans; ensure that policing strategies are developed, regularly evaluated and refined, which take account of good practices and that the police work in partnership with relevant stakeholders; take all possible measures to reduce the risk of incidents of violence and disorder and to ensure, in accordance with national and international law, that effective exclusion arrangements, appropriate to the character and location of risk are in place to deter and prevent such incidents; co-operate in seeking to ensure that individuals committing offences abroad receive appropriate sanctions and to consider empowering the judicial or administrative authorities responsible to impose sanctions on individuals who have caused or contributed to incidents of football-related violence and/or disorder, with the possibility of imposing restrictions on travel to football events held in another country.

Lastly, the Convention requires each Member State to set up or designate a national football information point of a police nature (NFIPs), which shall act as the direct, central contact point for exchanging relevant information and for facilitating international police cooperation in connection with football matches with an international dimension.