Europe’s Olympic family has arrived in Belek, Turkey, for two days of updates, decision-making and best-practice exchange at the 36th annual European Olympic Committees Seminar and Extraordinary General Assembly.
The gathering of the 50 European National Olympic Committees will see delegates discuss the impact of Olympic Agenda 2020 on European sport and receive news on the EOC’s flagship sports event: the European Games, the inaugural edition of which is taking place next month in Baku, Azerbaijan. The EOC Seminar is being held in parallel with an IOC Olympic Solidarity Forum which will provide updates on the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and advise on NOC preparations.
Ahead of the seminar tomorrow at Belek’s Gloria Golf Resort, the EOC convened an Executive Committee meeting to discuss its general activities and the latest news on preparations for Baku 2015. Other agenda points included finalising the EOC’s Baku 2015 Games-time governance, anti-doping and knowledge-transfer protocols.
EOC President Patrick Hickey, who led the Executive Committee meeting, said:
"We covered a lot of ground during our meeting today and the main thing to report is that the EOC Coordination Commission is delighted with the state of preparations for Baku 2015. EOC members and experts have been travelling regularly to Baku since the last Coordination Commission meetings to oversee preparations and we are hugely impressed by what the Baku 2015 European Games Operations Committee continues to achieve. We are all now counting down the days until to the Opening Ceremony on 12 June and the start of 17 days’ world-class sport in the stunning city of Baku."
Following a full programme of EOC Seminar meetings on Friday, Saturday’s Extraordinary General Assembly will feature an update from senior members of the Baku 2015 European Games Operations Committee.
Having been identified by the Executive Committee as the EOC’s preferred candidate to host the 2019 edition of the European Games, the Netherlands Olympic Committee will present their proposed Games concept for ratification by the General Assembly. If the Netherlands’ proposal is ratified, the EOC will continue its private negotiations with all stakeholders – including the Dutch government – until a definitive sporting, commercial and financial plan is finalised.
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