EPAS 2023 Annual Meeting: Changes in Board and Focus on Sport Integrity

The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), a body of the Council of Europe, recently held its annual meeting in Strasbourg. The event showcased activities and brought about changes in the board of EPAS. 

The meeting began with an unconscious bias training session focused on promoting equality in women's sport. Dr. Jane Dennehy led the session, raising awareness of sexism and unconscious bias in the media.

During the joint plenary sessions, the Governing Board and Consultative Committee discussed EPAS activities and held elections. Alexandre Husting and Andrea Carletti were re-elected as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Board, respectively. New members were also elected to both bodies.

TAFISA Treasurer Janez Sodrznik was present at the meeting, representing The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA).

The Consultative Committee elected Charlotte Girard Fabre as the new Chair, joining existing members Mogens Kirkeby, Vice-Chair, and Pauline Johanet, Baiba Veisa, and Marie Dennington as members. Janez Sodrznik, the Treasurer of TAFISA, also participated in the meeting.

Sport integrity was a major focus of the meeting, with roundtable discussions on various aspects of maintaining integrity in sports. The Governing Board adopted the mandate of the International Network of Magistrates and Prosecutors responsible for Sport (MARS), emphasizing its importance in protecting sport integrity.

The meeting also highlighted past and upcoming EPAS projects, emphasizing its three-pillar values of ethical sport, inclusive sport, and safe sport. These projects included combating hate speech in sport, promoting gender equality, inclusion of child migrants and refugees, and protecting the human rights of transgender and intersex athletes.

Overall, the 2023 EPAS annual meeting brought significant changes to the Board, with the election of new members and the appointment of Charlotte Girard Fabre as the Chair of the Consultative Committee. The meeting underscored the importance of sport integrity in EPAS activities.