Valletta, 29 May The 31st EOC Seminar has ended with success after two days worth of interactive sessions, discussions and exchanges of points of view………

The Seminar began on Thursday afternoon in the presence of EOC President Patrick Hickey, Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi and the members of the Executive Committee, who had held their 2nd meeting of the year the same morning.

It was in a very dynamic atmosphere that the 200 delegates and guests of the 49 NOCs of Europe followed two plenary sessions and two workshops at which some 20 reports were given on the various technical aspects of the Olympic Games and the EYOFs.

Special attention was given to the upcoming Youth Olympic Games that will kick off in less than 100 days.

At the start to the Seminar, the delegates commemorated their friend Piort Nurowski, the President of the Polish NOC who lost his life tragically last 12 April.

Saturday morning, Vice President Alexander Kozlovsky, evoked the memory of IOC Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who died a month ago.

The Olympic Solidarity Forum, held in conjunction with the seminar a novelty for the EOCs annual seminar was a follow-up to the Olympic Congress recommendations, and in particular the subjects of autonomy, good governance, and arbitration and mediation in sport.

Our thanks and congratulations go to the President of the hosting NOC, Lino Farrugia Sacco, Joe Cassar, the Secretary General and all our Maltese friends for the perfect organisation and their warm welcome, once again, for Olympic Europe!

The next seminar will take place in Portoroz in the spring of 2011, further to an invitation from the Slovenian NOC.