EOC General Assembly concludes in Athens
The General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) came to a close today in Athens, with the umbrella body for the continent’s 50 National Olympic Committees looking confidently toward the future.
EOC Executive Committee Member and Chair of the EOC Strategic Agenda 2030 Working Group Djordje Visacki provided a report together with external consultant Jon Tibbs on the initiative to help shape the direction of the organisation over the next decade.
Tibbs mentioned that there was a 100 per cent response rate from the 50 NOCs to an online questionnaire and interviews conducted together with market research consultancy Quantum. The consultation phase focused on four key themes – EOC governance and organisational structure, EOC sports events, EOC support for NOCs, and EOC relationships with key stakeholders – and looked to answer four questions: Where the European Olympic Movement is now and why? Where it wants to be and why? How does is get there? And how does it show it is getting there?
“Ten recommendations will serve as a useful tool for the newly elected ExCo to define the strategic plan. It can be a cornerstone for the strategic vision of the EOC,” said Visacki. “The Second Phase is now on the shoulders of the new ExCo. It is the opinion of the Working Group that it is very important that we finish the document by the end of the 2021 so we can start implementing next year.”
EOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Gerd Kanter presented on the updated terms of reference with the Chair of the EOC Legal Affairs Commission Marc Theisen. The most important changes were to the election process for the Athletes’ Commission, with elections to be held every two years instead of four to better align with the rules of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.
EOC Executive Committee Liaison Member with the EOC EU Commission Jean-Michel Brun gave an impassioned presentation on the “tragic importance” of the EOC and IOC in safeguarding the European Sport Model, which continues to come under attack from purely commercial interests.
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Photo copyright: EOC
