Dear Colleagues,

Dear Friends,

First of all, allow me to express full support to the Olympic community of Ukraine in this unprecedented moment of division and suffering. The EOC and the entire Olympic Movement of Europe are close to you, and we strongly reiterate the call for peace expressed by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach.

The terrible circumstances that our world is living in has sadly led us to take decisions that are not easy. In solidarity with all recommended actions issued by the IOC, after consultation with Vuokatti 2022 Organising Committee and noting the decisions taken by the participating International Federations, the EOC Executive Committee has decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials will no longer be able to participate in the forthcoming 2022 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) to be held in Vuokatti, Finland, from 20-25 March.

In addition, it has been decided to postpone the European Athletes’ Conference, which was originally scheduled for 9 March in Brussels, to a later date when times will be quieter and safer for everybody.

Stressing that both decisions have been made in order to ensure the wellbeing of all participants in the upcoming events, we truly hope that peace and unity will prevail soon.

In these deeply concerning and challenging times, I must however take this opportunity to congratulate you and your Olympians on their amazing performances at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Our wonderful European athletes once again showed their dominance in winter sports, returning home with a haul of 227 medals, some 70% of the overall available medals, and 8% more than at PyeongChang 2018.

On 7 February, I delivered the continental report for Europe to the ANOC Executive Council in Beijing, providing an in-depth look at the latest activities of the EOC, including the EOC Strategic Agenda 2030, the ongoing work of the new EOC Commissions and the upcoming EYOFs in Vuokatti (FIN) and Banska Bystrica (SVK).

During my stay in China, I also had the opportunity to meet many of my colleagues from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and, in particular, the President and Secretary General of the Polish Olympic Committee along with the Polish Sports Minister for an update on preparations for the European Games Krakow & Malopolska 2023.

In mid-February, delegations from Krakow & Malopolska 2023 and from our partners Atos travelled to Rome and met with the team at EOC Head Office to discuss the EOC Digital Strategy for the future, as well as the IT and digital services for the European Games 2023.

After these important developments, all eyes are now on Vuokatti, which will host the 15^th Winter EYOF, welcoming over 1,000 athletes from 44 European NOCs.

It will be the second time that the Finnish city organises an EYOF, having first held the event when it was known as the European Youth Olympic Days (EYOD) twenty years ago. I am confident that our Finnish friends will once again showcase their excellent organisational skills and deliver nothing short of a unique celebration of youth and sport.

In Vuokatti, the EOC Executive Committee will meet to discuss a number of important issues related to the Olympic Movement of Europe, including the EOC Strategic Agenda 2030, our roadmap for the next 10 years, and the 2022 General Assembly in Skopje in June.

To conclude, I look forward to seeing many of you in Vuokatti this month and I hope that the Flame of Peace, which was lit in Rome last December, will serve as a beacon of peace and will reignite the Olympic spirit in our dear Europe!

With EurOlympic Regards,

Spyros Capralos