EOC PREPARES FOR 53RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN BUCHAREST AT AN EXCITING TIME FOR EUROPEAN SPORT
European sports leaders will meet in Bucharest between 6 and 7 June for the 53rd European Olympic Committees (EOC) General Assembly (GA) ahead of the Olympic Games returning to the continent for the first time in 12 years at Paris 2024.
Held at the Palace of Parliament and hosted by the Romanian Olympic Committee in the capital, EOC President Spyros Capralos will be joined by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, EOC Executive Committee Members and the leaders of European National Olympic Committees (NOC) and European Federations.
The GA will hear from President Bach, President Capralos and Dr Jan Lehmann, who was appointed as the EOC’s first CEO last month in a move that strengthens its governance and daily operations.
Ahead of the GA, EOC President Capralos highlighted the significance of the gathering at a timely moment for European sport.
President Capralos said: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to bring our members together with the Olympic Games Paris 2024 rapidly approaching, and I am looking forward to addressing the European Olympic family. The EOC is especially honoured to host the IOC President Thomas Bach at our General Assembly at such an exciting time for European sport and thankful to our hosts at the Romanian NOC.
“The General Assembly in Bucharest will allow the EOC to discuss how we leverage the opportunities ahead. The next Olympic Games and Olympic Winter Games will be held in Europe, and send a message to the world of peace and solidarity through sport.”
At the Gala Dinner on 6 June, the EOC will present the inaugural Janez Kocijančič Award for the best male and best female athletes at the Kraków-Małopolska 2023 European Games, named after the EOC’s former distinguished president. The winner of the Winter edition of the Piotr Nurowski Prize, awarded to an athlete aged between 14 and 18 who has excelled in their sport and embodied the Olympic Values, will also be announced.
In addition to presentations focusing on the EOC’s continued progress since the 52nd GA in Istanbul last year in line with Strategic Agenda 2030, the EOC’s member NOCs will vote on Istanbul’s bid to host the 2027 European Games, following on from the success of the 3rd European Games in Poland in 2023.
There will also be updates on the EOC’s events in 2025, including the Winter and Summer European Youth Olympic Festival for athletes aged 14 to 18, and the Games of the Small States of Europe.
As the EOC continues its role at the forefront of innovation in the Olympic Movement, the GA will include a session focused on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could impact all areas of the sports industry, both positively and negatively, after the IOC announced the Olympic AI Agenda in April.
President Capralos added: “Europe is at the heart of global sport, and the EOC recognises its important role as one of the leaders on the continent. We are looking forward to Istanbul sharing their plans for the 2027 European Games, as we believe it will be a perfect host to help elevate Europe’s premier multi-sport event and build on the success of Kraków-Małopolska 2023.
“The General Assembly allows us all to reflect on the ongoing work of the EOC in line with Strategic Agenda 2030. We have had a busy year of activities, and are preparing for the Winter and Summer European Youth Olympic Festivals in 2025. I am particularly interested in hearing about and discussing the opportunities and challenges provided by AI at the General Assembly.”
The GA in Bucharest will be preceded by an EOC Executive Committee meeting on 5 June.
