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The EPC Executive met for its second ordinary meeting of the year in Rome on the weekend of the 13th and 14th of November. Hosted by the Italian Paralympic Committee, the committee followed up on many of the topics discussed at its first meeting of the year, in April in Switzerland, and discussed a number of new issues during the two-day gathering.
The following is a brief summary of the most significant items on the agenda:
Regional committees in new IPC structure: the committee recognised the need to have a thorough and wide-ranging discussion on the future role of regional Paralympic committees in the new IPC structure.
The committee discussed the future relationship between EPC and other regional committees and IPC. It was agreed IPC must clarify what it sees as the role of regional committees in the future and EPC should look for support to enable it to take on paid staff to perform its duties.
German Sports Office in Brussels: EPC has received an offer from the German Sports Office, based in Brussels, aimed at raising EPC’s profile with the European Union. The committee agreed to explore this opportunity and contact the GSO to ask for more details.
European Disability Forum: it was agreed the Secretary General Enrique Sánchez-Guijo shall contact the European Disability Forum in an attempt to revive the agreement signed by IPC, EPC and EDF in Athens in 2003.
Paralympic School Day project: the committee welcomed the news that the Paralympic School Day project, co-ordinated by EPC, had been approved by the European Union and was about to kick-off. EU support amounting to Euro 208 000 had been secured for the project. The first phase will run from December 2004 until February 2006 and will include the organisation of five “Paralympic School Days” in elementary schools in each of the six partner countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Latvia and Sweden).
2005 General Assembly and Conference: Croatia was awarded
the hosting of next year’s GA and Conference. Due to the
changes foreseen in IPC they will be held before the summer.
Ratko Covacic, Member at Large from Croatia on the EC, put
forward a number of possible dates in June. Elections to the
Executive are due next year, and EPC particularly encourages
members to put forward female candidates for the Executive
Committee next year in an attempt to secure gender balance.
The 2005 conference will include the topics of women in Paralympic sport and membership services. To gather members’ views on the latter issue a questionnaire will be sent out prior to the conference.
2005 IPC General Assembly: it was agreed in principle that EPC should take advantage of the right granted to it in the new IPC structure to nominate candidates to the Governing Board.
New EPC logo: the new EPC logo was approved. A new emblem is needed to comply with IPC regulations and following the launch of the new IPC logo.
New EPC web site: the committee welcomed the new-look EPC web site (www.europaralympic.org) and agreed its launch should be publicised as widely as possible.
Sports self-governance: the committee took note of the fact that a number of sports have begun the move to independence and discussed the political and practical consequences for EPC.
Athlete representation: Cristian Sainz, Athletes’ Representative on the EC, will prepare a short questionnaire on athlete representation in EPC member organisations and gather the responses. The ultimate aim of this exercise is to set up a Europe-wide network of athletes’ representatives.
The next meeting of the Executive Committee will take place in Great Britain in March 2005.