An EOC delegation headed by Acting President Janez Kocijancic (SLO) attended the first ANOC EC meeting of 2017, hosted in Madrid on 9 April by the NOC of Spain at its HQ.

EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi (ITA), together with Elected Members Roger Talermo (FIN), Vlade Divac and (SRB) Ms Nese Gundogan (TUR) also attended the 76^th ANOC Executive Council, at which they joined representatives from the 5 Continental Associations of NOCs.

The meeting was opened by ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah in the presence of the Sports Director General from the Spanish High Sports Council, Jaime González Castaño, and the President of the Spanish NOC Alejandro Blanco, who welcomed the ANOC delegates to Spain and reiterated the country’s commitment to the Olympic Movement.

ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg provided an update on the work of the organisation, including the results of the NOC debrief for Rio 2016 and the creation of working groups with the IOC to study accreditation, transportation, ticketing systems, and collaboration with the IFs for future Olympic Games.

Kocijančič and the other continental delegation heads gave updates on their activities.

Reports were also given by each of the nine ANOC Commissions and Working Groups.

In particular, the ANOC Legal Commission Chair Michael Chambers explained that an anti-match-fixing code and anti-doping code for the ANOC World Beach Games will be developed in order to safeguard the integrity of sport and protect clean athletes.

The Legal commission – among its members EOC EC Member Marc Theisen (LUX) – also proposed changes to the ANOC Constitution to include Continental Associations as members of ANOC, which were approved by the Council.

ANOC’s activities focus on improving and developing support to NOCs.

EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi then left Madrid for Barcelona, where the IOC Olympic Solidarity Commission will meet, welcomed there on occasion of the celebrations for the 25^th anniversary of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.