The Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) met today for the 9^th time of 2020, a day ahead of the 49^th EOC General Assembly, which will be held online for the first time.

Acting President Niels Nygaard opened the meeting with an overview of the EOC’s activities in the five weeks since the ExCo’s last gathering, which included discussions with the Polish hosts of the Kraków & Małapolska European Games in 2023, the European Union, EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, and the G20, which “value sport as an important accompaniment to what they want to do in the future,” Nygaard said.

Nygaard also highlighted the seriousness of the political situation in Belarus, which has been negatively impacting the athletes, in particular those preparing to compete at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“We are in close contact with the IOC on how to deal with this matter as it is a very special situation that seems like it is getting more and more serious,” Nygaard said. “Yesterday the IOC Executive Board discussed the matter and they are going to dig deeper into the situation and see what can be done. As Belarus is one of the 50 NOCs of Europe, we also need to be engaged in this situation.”

EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi provided a comprehensive report on the numerous activities being undertaken by the EOC office in Rome, which includes preparations for the first virtual General Assembly, discussions with the International Testing Agency (ITA), and work on the upcoming European Youth Olympic Festivals (EYOFs).

“There has been a significant amount of work over the past weeks that has gone into the preparation for the very first online EOC General Assembly,” Pagnozzi said. “I would like to thank the full Rome team and a special thanks to CONI for allowing us to use their facilities for this important EOC activity. Together with my colleagues on the Executive Committee, we are looking forward to this new format for the General Assembly tomorrow and for the Olympic Movement in Europe to be ready for a full slate of activities in 2021.”

The ExCo confirmed that the 50^th EOC General Assembly in 2021 will take place as agreed in Greece, but ahead of schedule in April instead of October to avoid conflict with the IOC Session in March in Athens and ahead of the postponed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Coordination Commission Chair for the 2023 European Games Hasan Arat updated the Members on the steady progress being made for the 3^rd edition of the Games. This includes in particular the excellent work with regard to the sports programme for the third edition of the Games, with negotiations continuing between the EOC and roughly two dozen sports federations.

ExCo Member Djordje Visacki presented an overview of the EOC’s Strategic Agenda 2030, whose mission is to develop and protect the Olympic Movement in Europe in accordance with the Olympic Charter while leading Europe in the global delivery of elite sport and healthy lifestyles.

Visacki added that a working group has prepared a two-phase roadmap that will be presented to the General Assembly in greater detail tomorrow.

The 49th EOC General Assembly will take place virtually due to the pandemic, although Acting President Nygaard, Secretary General Pagnozzi and Acting Treasurer Peter Mennel will attend in person at the CONI Headquarters in Rome.

On the agenda for the GA are proposed changes to the EOC Articles of Association, confirmation of the hosts for the 2025 winter and summer EYOF, and a vote for the winner of the 5th Winter Piotr Nurowski Prize for Europe’s best young athlete of the year.