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Among guests present at the assembly were the IPC President Sir Phil Craven, EPC past President Mr Hans Lindström, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia Managing Director Mr Mike Smith. Three EPC Sports Coordinators, representing Cycling, Swimming and Archery, also attended.
During the meeting, EPC members elected its representatives on the Executive Committee, the organisation’s maximum governing body between General Assemblies.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee is made up of nine members; the following will serve on the board during the period 2005-2009:
President
Mr Enrique Sánchez-Guijo Acevedo (Spain)
Secretary General
Mr Luca Pancalli (Italy)
Treasurer
Mr Gerard Masson (France)
Technical Officer
(*) Ms Oksana Matiyash (Ukraine)
Athletes Representative
Mr Cristian Sainz de Marles
Members at large
Mr Ratko Kovacic (Croatia)
Mrs Tanni Grey-Thompson (Great Britain)
(*) Mrs Ioanna Karyofylli (Greece)
(*) Ms María Odete Fiuza (Portugal)
(*) these positions were vacant following the call for nominations. These three members were co-opted on to the committee and their appointment will be ratified at the next GA.
Cristian Sainz has served on the executive for the past four years. He will be replaced by a new Athletes Representative nominated by the IPC Athletes Council and approved by the EPC executive. The nominee must come from Europe and must have competed in either summer or winter Paralympic Games in the past eight years.
For the first time, the committee has secured gender balance and a majority of the members (6 out of 9 - two thirds) are Paralympians.
OBJECTIVES 2005-2009
Several motions submitted by the Executive Committee and EPC members were approved by the assembly.
Members welcomed and approved the three motions put forward by the outgoing executive with the aim of updating the EPC’s constitution to bring it into line with the new IPC structure and nomenclature following its Strategic Review.
Item 5.1 Motions from Executive Committee EPC GA 2005
Four motions from the British Paralympic Association, EPC’s member organisation in the United Kingdom, were also debated and approved. These motions call upon EPC to:
- set up a committee for the organisation of European international competitions, either single or multi-sport, for talented young people and schoolchildren.
- commission an analysis of the performance of European nations in the Paralympic Games and World Championships, using the results as the basis for an annual coaching and science conference to ensure that European nations remain at the forefront of Paralympic sport.
- set up a commission to examine the impact on Paralympic sport in its member nations of the awarding of the Games to a European nation, offering advice and support to the host country and competing nations to provide the best sporting and commercial climate for the NPCs to maximise the effect of a European Games.
- make representation to the IPC with respect to greater cooperation and consultation on the inclusion and exclusion of sports and events in the Paralympic sports programme.
The members approved reports from the outgoing President, Secretary General and Technical Officer. EPC’s accounts for the years 2003 and 2004 and budgets for the period 2005-2007 were also received and approved, and the membership fee remains 300 euro per year.
NEW RIGHTS IN IPC
As an independent member of IPC, EPC now enjoys new rights that it will exercise for the first time at the IPC General Assembly in Beijing, China, in November of this year. The assembly agreed the following:
- Allow the Executive Committee to decide who shall represent EPC in China.
- Submit the following motions to the assembly:
1 From CP-ISRA – urging IPC to set up a working group to study its accreditation guidelines, bearing in mind especially athlete/staff ratios where severely disabled athletes are involved.
2 From BPA – EPC shall make representation to the IPC with respect to greater cooperation and consultation on the inclusion and exclusion of sports and events in the Paralympic sports programme.
- Nominate Sir Phil Craven to the post of IPC President and Dr Bob Price to the position of Member at large on IPC’s Governing Board.
- Forward the following recommendations for IPC standing committees to the Governing Board:
Anti-Doping Committee:
Dr Matthias Strupler (Switzerland)
Classification Committee:
Mrs Mirre Kipfer (Switzerland)
Sports Science Committee:
Dr Claudio Perret (Switzerland)
Paralympic Games Committee:
Mr Christian Egli (Switzerland)
Women in Sport Committee:
Mrs Tine Teilmann (Denmark)
ANNUAL EPC CONFERENCE
The annual EPC Conference was held the day before the assembly. Three key issues were addressed:
- Athletes with a severe disability
Dr Bob Price EPC Conference Dubrovnik June 2005
- Women in disability sport
IPC WISC EPC Conference Dubrovnik June 2005
- Services to members
Enrique Sánchez Guijo EPC Conference Dubrovnik June 2005
Regarding the third of these issues, the conclusions reached were wholly in line with the decisions adopted the following day at the assembly and will form the basis of the work of the new Executive Committee over the coming four years. These include the following:
- EPC should focus on facilitating new sports events for young athletes with a disability and co-ordinating its continental championship calendar in co-operation with other stakeholders.
- Strengthen relations with the European Union and other key partners in the sport and disability sectors in Europe (COEs, EDF, IOSDs…)
- Provide accurate, up-to-date information and added value services and counsel to members on, among others, fundraising and sponsorship.
Bonn, 4th July 2005