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COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONVENTION

ON AN INTEGRATED SAFETY, SECURITY AND SERVICE APPROACH AT FOOTBALL MATCHES AND OTHER SPORTS EVENTS

Saint-Denis, 3.VII.2016

Preamble

The member States of the Council of Europe and the other States Parties to the European Cultural Convention (ETS No. 18), signatories hereto,

Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unity among its members;

Concerned with the right to physical integrity and the legitimate expectation of individuals to attend football matches and other sports events without fear of violence, public disorder or other criminal activity;

Concerned to make football matches and other sports events enjoyable and welcoming for all citizens while also recognising that creating a welcoming environment can have a significant and positive impact on safety and security at such events;

Concerned with the need to promote the inclusion of all stakeholders in providing a safe environment at football matches and other sports events;

Concerned with the need to maintain the rule of law in and within the vicinity of football and other sports stadiums, on transit routes to and from the stadiums and in other areas frequented by many thousands of spectators;

Recognising that sport, and all agencies and stakeholders involved in organising and managing a football match or other sports event, must uphold core values of the Council of Europe, such as social cohesion, tolerance, respect and non-discrimination;

Recognising variations among States regarding their constitutional, judicial, cultural and historical circumstances, and the character and severity of safety and security problems associated with football matches and other sports events;

Recognising the need to take full account of national and international legislation on matters such as data protection, rehabilitation of offenders and human rights;

Recognising that a wide range of public and private agencies and other stakeholders, including spectators, have a shared objective in making football matches and other sports events safe,

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secure and welcoming for individuals and recognising that their collective actions will necessarily comprise a range of interrelated and overlapping measures;

Recognising that the overlapping character of these measures requires the relevant agencies to develop effective international, national and local partnerships in order to prepare and deliver an integrated and balanced multi-agency approach to safety, security and service in connection with football matches and other sports events;

Recognising that events outside of sports stadiums can have a direct impact on events inside the stadiums and vice versa;

Recognising that consultation with key stakeholders, especially supporters and local communities, can assist the relevant agencies in reducing the risks to safety and security and in creating a welcoming atmosphere inside and outside of stadiums;

Being resolved to take common and co-operative action to reduce the risks to safety and security at football matches and other sports events in order to provide an enjoyable experience for spectators, participants and local communities;

Building upon the content of the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches (ETS No. 120), opened for signature in Strasbourg on 19 August 1985 (hereafter “Convention No. 120”);

Taking into account that extensive European experience and good practices has resulted in the development of a new integrated and partnership approach towards the safety and security of spectators, reflected in particular in the Recommendation Rec (2015) 1 on Safety, Security and Service at Football Matches, and other Sports Events, adopted by the Standing Committee of the Convention No. 120 at its 40th meeting on 18 June 2015,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

Scope

(1)The Parties shall, within the limits of their respective constitutional provisions, take the necessary steps to give effect to the provisions of this Convention in respect of football matches or tournaments played in their territory by professional football clubs and national teams.

(2)The Parties may apply the provisions of this Convention to other sports or sports events hosted in their territory, including non-professional football matches, especially in circumstances where safety or security risks are involved.

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Article 2

Aim

The aim of this Convention is to provide a safe, secure and welcoming environment at football matches and other sports events. To that end, the Parties shall:

a)adopt an integrated, multi-agency and balanced approach towards safety, security and service, based upon an ethos of effective local, national and international partnerships and co-operation;

b)ensure that all public and private agencies, and other stakeholders, recognise that safety, security and service provision cannot be considered in isolation, and can have a direct influence on delivery of the other two components;

c)take account of good practices in developing an integrated approach to safety, security and service.

Article 3

Definitions

For the purposes of this Convention, the terms:

a)“safety measures” shall mean any measure designed and implemented with the primary aim of protecting the health and well-being of individuals and groups who attend, or participate in, a football match or other sports event, inside or outside of the stadium, or who reside or work in the vicinity of the event;

b)“security measures” shall mean any measure designed and implemented with the primary aim of preventing, reducing the risk and/or responding to any violence or other criminal activity or disorder committed in connection with a football or other sports event, inside or outside of a stadium;

c)“service measures” shall mean any measure designed and implemented with the primary aim of making individuals and groups feel comfortable, appreciated and welcome when attending a football match or other sports event, inside or outside of a stadium;

d)“agency” shall mean any public or private body with a constitutional, legislative, regulatory or other responsibility in respect of the preparation and implementation of any safety, security or service measure in connection with a football match or other sports event, inside or outside of a stadium;

e)“stakeholder” shall mean spectators, local communities or other interested parties who do not have legislative or regulatory responsibilities but who can play an important role in helping to make football matches or other sports events safe, secure and welcoming, inside and outside of stadiums;

f)“integrated approach” shall mean recognition that, irrespective of their primary purpose, safety, security and service measures at football matches and other sports events invariably overlap, are interrelated in terms of impact, need to be balanced and cannot be designed or implemented in isolation;

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g)“multi-agency integrated approach” shall mean recognition that the roles and actions of each agency involved in football or other sports planning and operational activities must be co-ordinated, complementary, proportionate and designed and implemented as part of a comprehensive safety, security and service strategy;

h)“good practices” shall mean measures applied in one or more countries that have proven to be very effective in meeting the stated aim or objective;

i)“relevant agency” shall mean a body (public or private) involved in the organisation and/or management of a football match or other sports event held inside or outside of a sports stadium.

Article 4

Domestic co-ordination arrangements

(1)The Parties shall ensure that national and local co-ordination arrangements are established for the purpose of developing and implementing a multi-agency integrated approach to safety, security and service at national and local level.

(2)The Parties shall ensure that co-ordination arrangements are established to identify, analyse and evaluate the risks pertaining to safety, security and services, and to allow the sharing of updated information on risk assessment.

(3)The Parties shall ensure that the co-ordination arrangements involve all key public and private agencies responsible for safety, security and service matters connected with the event, both inside and outside of the venue where the event is taking place.

(4)The Parties shall ensure that the co-ordination arrangements take full account of the safety, security and service principles set out in this Convention and that national and local strategies are developed, regularly evaluated and refined in the light of national and international experience and good practices.

(5)The Parties shall ensure that national legal, regulatory or administrative frameworks clarify the respective roles and responsibilities of the relevant agencies and that these roles are complementary, consistent with an integrated approach and widely understood at strategic and operational levels.

Article 5

Safety, security and service in sports stadiums

(1)The Parties shall ensure that national legal, regulatory or administrative frameworks require event organisers, in consultation with all partner agencies, to provide a safe and secure environment for all participants and spectators.

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(2)The Parties shall ensure that the competent public authorities put in place regulations or arrangements to guarantee the effectiveness of stadium licensing procedures, certification arrangements and safety regulations in general and ensure their application, monitoring and enforcement.

(3)The Parties shall require the relevant agencies to ensure that stadium design, infrastructure and associated crowd management arrangements comply with national and international standards and good practices.

(4)The Parties shall encourage the relevant agencies to ensure that stadiums provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for all sections of society, including children, the elderly and those with disabilities, and incorporate, in particular, the provision of appropriate sanitary and refreshment facilities and good viewing conditions for all spectators.

(5)The Parties shall ensure that stadiums’ operating arrangements are comprehensive; make provision for effective liaison with the police, emergency services and partner agencies; and incorporate clear policies and procedures on matters that might impact on crowd management and associated safety and security risks, in particular:

−the use of pyrotechnics;

−any violent or other prohibited behaviour; and

−any racist or other discriminatory behaviour.

(6)The Parties shall require the relevant agencies to ensure that all personnel, from the public or private sectors, involved in making football matches and other sports events safe, secure and welcoming are equipped and trained to fulfil their functions effectively and in an appropriate manner.

(7)The Parties shall encourage their competent agencies to highlight the need for players, coaches or other representatives of participating teams to act in accordance with key sporting principles, such as tolerance, respect and fair play, and recognise that acting in a violent, racist or other provocative manner can have a negative impact on spectator behaviour.

Article 6

Safety, security and service in public places

(1)The Parties shall encourage all agencies and stakeholders involved in organising football matches and other sports events in public spaces, including the municipal authorities, police, local communities and businesses, supporter representatives, football clubs and national associations, to work together, notably in respect of:

a)assessing risk and preparing appropriate preventative measures designed to minimise disruption and provide reassurances to the local community and businesses, in particular those located in the vicinity of where the event is taking place or public viewing areas;

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b)creating a safe, secure and welcoming environment in public spaces that are designated for supporters to gather before and after the event, or locations in which supporters can be expected to frequent of their own volition, and along transit routes to and from the city and/or to and from the stadium.

(2)The Parties shall ensure that risk assessment and safety and security measures take account of the journey to and from the stadium.

Article 7

Contingency and emergency planning

(1)The Parties shall ensure that multi-agency contingency and emergency plans are developed, and that those plans are tested and refined in regular joint exercises. National legal, regulatory or administrative frameworks shall make clear which agency is responsible for initiating, supervising and certifying the exercises.

Article 8

Engagement with supporters and local communities

(1)The Parties shall encourage all agencies to develop and pursue a policy of proactive and regular communication with key stakeholders, including supporter representatives and local communities, based on the principle of dialogue, and with the aim of generating a partnership ethos and positive co-operation as well as identifying solutions to potential problems.

(2)The Parties shall encourage all public and private agencies and other stakeholders, including local communities and supporter representatives, to initiate or participate in multi-agency social, educational, crime-prevention and other community projects designed to foster mutual respect and understanding, especially among supporters, sports clubs and associations as well as agencies responsible for safety and security.

Article 9

Police strategies and operations

(1)The Parties shall ensure that policing strategies are developed, regularly evaluated and refined in the light of national and international experience and good practices, and are consistent with the wider, integrated approach to safety, security and service.

(2)The Parties shall ensure that policing strategies take account of good practices including, in particular: intelligence gathering, continuous risk assessment, risk-based deployment, proportionate intervention to prevent the escalation of risk or disorder, effective dialogue with

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supporters and the wider community, and evidence gathering of criminal activity as well as the sharing of such evidence with the competent authorities responsible for prosecution.

(3)The Parties shall ensure that the police work in partnership with organisers, supporters, local communities and other stakeholders in making football matches and other sports events safe, secure and welcoming for all concerned.

Article 10

Prevention and sanctioning of offending behaviour

(1)The Parties shall take all possible measures to reduce the risk of individuals or groups participating in, or organising incidents of violence or disorder.

(2)The Parties shall, in accordance with national and international law, ensure that effective exclusion arrangements, appropriate to the character and location of risk, are in place to deter and prevent incidents of violence or disorder.

(3)The Parties shall, in accordance with national and international law, co-operate in seeking to ensure that individuals committing offences abroad receive appropriate sanctions, either in the country where the offence is committed or in their country of residence or citizenship.

(4)Where appropriate, and in accordance with national and international law, the Parties shall consider empowering the judicial or administrative authorities responsible to impose sanctions on individuals who have caused or contributed to incidents of football-related violence and/or disorder, with the possibility of imposing restrictions on travel to football events held in another country.

Article 11

International co-operation

(1)The Parties shall co-operate closely on all matters covered by this Convention and related matters, in order to maximise collaboration in respect of international events, share experiences and participate in the development of good practices.

(2)The Parties shall, without prejudice to existing national provisions, in particular the allocation of powers among the different services and authorities, set up or designate a national football information point within the police force (NFIP). The NFIP shall:

a)act as the direct and single contact point for exchanging general (strategic, operational and tactical) information in connection with a football match with an international dimension;

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b)exchange personal data in accordance with the applicable domestic and international rules;

c)facilitate, co-ordinate or organise the implementation of international police co-operation in connection with football matches with an international dimension;

d)be capable of fulfilling efficiently and promptly the tasks assigned to it.

(3)The Parties shall further ensure that the NFIP provides a national source of expertise regarding football policing operations, supporter dynamics and associated safety and security risks.

(4)Each State Party shall notify the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events, created by this Convention, in writing, of the name and contact details of its NFIP, and any subsequent changes with regard to it.

(5)The Parties shall co-operate at international level in respect of sharing good practices and information on preventative, educational and informative projects and the establishment of partnerships with all agencies involved in the delivery of national and local initiatives, focused on or driven by the local community and supporters.

PROCEDURAL CLAUSES

Article 12

Provision of information

Each Party shall forward to the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events, in one of the official languages of the Council of Europe, all relevant information concerning legislative and other measures taken by it for the purpose of complying with the terms of this Convention, whether with regard to football or other sports.

Article 13

Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events

(1)For the purposes of this Convention, the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events is hereby established.

(2)Any Party to this Convention may be represented on the committee by one or more delegates representing lead governmental agencies, preferably with responsibility for sport safety and security, and the NFIP. Each Party to this Convention shall have one vote.

(3)Any member State of the Council of Europe or other State Party to the European Cultural Convention which is not a Party to this Convention, as well as any non-member State which is a Party to Convention No. 120, may be represented on the committee as an observer.

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(4)The committee may, by unanimous decision, invite any non-member State of the Council of Europe which is not a Party to this Convention or to Convention No. 120 and any organisation interested in being represented to be an observer at one or more of its meetings.

(5)The committee shall be convened by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Its first meeting shall be held within one year of the date on which ten member States of the Council of Europe have expressed their consent to be bound by the Convention. It shall subsequently meet at least every year after its first meeting. In addition it shall meet whenever a majority of the Parties so request.

(6)A majority of the Parties shall constitute a quorum for holding a meeting of the committee.

(7)Subject to the provisions of this Convention, the committee shall draw up and adopt by consensus its own rules of procedure.

Article 14

Functions of the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events

(1)The committee shall be responsible for monitoring the application of this Convention. It may in particular:

a)keep under review the provisions of this Convention and examine any necessary modifications;

b)hold consultations and, where appropriate, exchange information with relevant organisations;

c)make recommendations to the Parties to this Convention concerning measures to be taken for its implementation;

d)recommend the appropriate measures to keep the public informed about the activities undertaken within the framework of this Convention;

e)make recommendations to the Committee of Ministers concerning non-member States of the Council of Europe to be invited to accede to this Convention;

f)make any proposal for improving the effectiveness of this Convention;

g)facilitate the collection, analysis and exchange of information, experience and good practices between States.

(2)The committee, with the prior agreement of the Parties concerned, shall monitor compliance with this Convention through a programme of visits to the States Parties, in order to provide advice and support on the implementation of this Convention.

(3)The committee shall also gather the information provided by States Parties according to Article 12, and transmit relevant data to all States Parties of the Convention. It may in particular inform each State Party about the nomination of a new NFIP, and circulate its contact details.

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(4)In order to discharge its functions, the committee may, on its own initiative, arrange for meetings of groups of experts.

Article 15

Amendments

(1)Amendments to this Convention may be proposed by a Party, the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events or the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

(2)Any proposal for amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to the member States of the Council of Europe, to the other States Parties to the European Cultural Convention, to any non-member State of the Council of Europe having acceded to Convention No. 120 prior to the date of opening for signature of this Convention and to every non-member State which has acceded to or has been invited to accede to this Convention in accordance with the provisions of Article 18.

(3)Any amendment proposed by a Party or the Committee of Ministers shall be communicated to the committee at least two months before the meeting at which it is to be considered. The committee shall submit its opinion on the proposed amendment to the Committee of Ministers.

(4)The Committee of Ministers shall consider the proposed amendment and any opinion submitted by the committee and may adopt the amendment by the majority provided for in Article 20.d of the Statute of the Council of Europe.

(5)The text of any amendment adopted by the Committee of Ministers in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article shall be forwarded to the Parties for acceptance in accordance with their respective internal procedures.

(6)Any amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article shall come into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after all Parties have informed the Secretary General of their acceptance thereof.

FINAL CLAUSES

Article 16

Signature

(1)This Convention shall be open for signature by the member States of the Council of Europe, the States Parties to the European Cultural Convention and any non-member State of the Council of Europe having acceded to the European Convention on Spectator Violence and

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Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches (ETS No. 120), opened for signature in Strasbourg on 19 August 1985, prior to the date of opening for signature of this Convention.

(2)This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

(3)No State Party to Convention No. 120 may deposit its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval unless it has already denounced the said convention or denounces it simultaneously.

(4)When depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval in accordance with the preceding paragraph, a Contracting State may declare that it will continue to apply Convention No. 120 until the entry into force of this Convention according to the provisions of Article 17, paragraph 1.

Article 17

Entry into force

(1)The Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date on which three member States of the Council of Europe have expressed their consent to be bound by the Convention in accordance with the provisions of Article 16.

(2)In respect of any Signatory State which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by it, the Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of the deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.

Article 18

Accession by non-member States

(1)After the entry into force of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, after consulting the Parties, may invite any non-member State of the Council of Europe to accede to the Convention by a decision taken by the majority provided for in Article 20.d of the Statute of the Council of Europe and by the unanimous vote of the representatives of the Contracting States entitled to sit on the Committee of Ministers.

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(2)In respect of any acceding State, the Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of the deposit of the instrument of accession with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

(3)A Party which is not a member State of the Council of Europe shall contribute to the financing of the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events in a manner to be decided by the Committee of Ministers.

Article 19

Effects of the Convention

(1)In relations between a Party to this Convention and a Party to Convention No. 120 which has not ratified this Convention, Articles 4 and 5 of Convention No. 120 shall continue to apply.

(2)After the entry into force of this Convention, if a State has denounced Convention No. 120 but such denunciation is not yet effective at the time of ratification of this Convention, this Convention shall apply according to the provisions of Article 17, paragraph 2.

Article 20

Territorial application

(1)Any State may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, specify the territory or territories to which this Convention shall apply.

(2)Any Party may, at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, extend the application of this Convention to any other territory specified in the declaration. In respect of such a territory, the Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of one month after the date of receipt of said declaration by the Secretary General.

(3)Any declaration made under the two preceding paragraphs may, in respect of any territory mentioned in the declaration, be withdrawn by a notification addressed to the Secretary General. This withdrawal shall become effective on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of six months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary General.

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Article 21

Denunciation

(1)Any Party may, at any time, denounce this Convention by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

(2)This denunciation shall become effective on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of six months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary General.

Article 22

Notifications

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify the member States of the Council of Europe, the other States Parties to the European Cultural Convention and any State which has acceded to this Convention, of:

a)any signature in accordance with Article 16;

b)the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession in accordance with Article 16 or Article 18;

c)any date of entry into force of this Convention in accordance with Articles 17 and 18;

d)any proposal for amendment or any amendment adopted in accordance with Article 15 and the date on which the amendment comes into force;

e)any declaration made under the provisions of Article 20;

f)any denunciation made in pursuance of the provisions of Article 21;

g)any other act, declaration, notification or communication relating to this Convention.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Convention.

Done at Saint-Denis, this 3rd day of July 2016 in English and French, both texts being equally authentic, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit certified copies to each member State of the Council of Europe, to each State Party to the European Cultural Convention, and any State invited to accede to this Convention.