Nine European countries ask European Commissioner to suspend EU funding for the IOC over Russia move

Nine European countries have submitted a request to European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef, to exclude from Erasmus+ and other European Union funding programmes any sports organisations that allow Russia and Belarus to return to international sporting competitions, Estonia’s Culture Ministry said on July 14.

The nine European countries are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.

In the proposal addressed to Micallef, the signatories call for both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and several other sports organisations, including the International Fencing Federation (FIE) and World Aquatics, to be excluded from European Union funding programmes.

The statement also proposes giving serious consideration to limiting the involvement of such organisations in future discussions and events concerning the development of the sports sector.

The statement said that on July 7, the IOC executive board decided at its meeting in Lausanne Switzerland to lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee.

On July 13, speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: The International Olympic Committee’s decision to invite Russian athletes back to international competitions is blind to reality.

“Ministers strongly condemn such decision, as it coincides with Russia killing record number of Ukrainian civilians. So, it looks like International Olympic Committee is rewarding such attacks,” Kallas said.

This is the text of the letter from the nine European countries:

“Dear Commissioner Glenn Micallef,

We sincerely appreciate your active support for Ukraine and your commitment to preventing the use of international sports by Russia and Belarus for political purposes.

Despite repeated statements and calls by the Ministers of the European Union and other countries, including at the most recent meetings of European Council and the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council of the Council of the European Union , urging international sports organizations not to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes, coaches, referees, and officials to participate in international sporting competitions until Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has ended, International Olympic Committee and certain international sports organisations, such as the World Aquatics and the International Gymnastics Federation, have chosen a different course.

These statements reflect the reality that Ukrainian athletes are unable to train and prepare under equal conditions. Many have been displaced, directly affected by the destruction caused by the war, or have chosen to defend their country and fellow citizens.

In this context, any assertions that sport can be separated from politics ring hollow when thousands of innocent Ukrainians have lost their lives and when sport continues to be instrumentalised by the Russian and Belarusian regimes.

Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, enabled by the Belarusian government, is abhorrent and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and fundamental international obligations.

Respect for human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful relations between nations are among the core principles underpinning international sport and the Olympic movement.

While fully respecting the autonomy of sports organizations, the EU Sports Ministers have consistently called on international sports bodies to uphold and defend these principles.

We would like to express serious concern that certain international sports organisations have chosen not to align their decisions with these fundamental values. By doing so, they have demonstrated a clear divergence from the values on which the European Union is founded.

 In light of the recent tendencies, including IOC’s decisions of the 7th of May and 7th of July , and while continuing to respect the autonomy of sports organisations, we would ask the European Commission to consider the necessary steps to ensure that organisations whose actions are inconsistent with the values of the European Union do not benefit from EU financial support.

This should include, in particular, funding under the Erasmus+ programme and other relevant EU programmes, and to ensure that they do not play a prominent role in relevant EU forums and cooperation platforms, including the EU Sport Forum.

It is regrettable that such measures should need to be considered. However, where these organisations choose not to uphold the values that the European Union seeks to promote and defend, access to EU funding and related benefits should remain suspended until they demonstrate a renewed commitment to those principles.”

(Photo from Unsplash, via the Estonian Culture Ministry’s website)