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WHAT WE DO

What we do

The EPC is a European non-profit-making organization which operates under Austrian law due to its registration in Vienna. EPC is supported by the European Union and the Austrian Government.

A more inclusive European society through the fun and challenge of Para sport.

OUR VISION

OUR MISSION

Empowering the Paralympic Movement across Europe for the benefit of, and with the input of, our members.

OUR OBJECTIVES

Facilitating Para sport opportunities

Providing opportunities across Para sort for people with impairments.

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Building a Paralympic ethos

Develop Paralympic sentiment by building the emotional engagement of members to the EPC

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Being a representative platform

Being the voice and face of the European Paralympic movement, both within  the movement and to the outside.

The purpose of the EPC is to promote and defend the collective interest of European athletes with disabilities as represented by their National Paralympic Committee (NPC) or equivalent national body, International Organisation of Sports for the Disabled or International Paralympic Sport Federation.  and Members of the EPC, without discrimination on the grounds of religion, economics, disability, gender, language or ethnic origin.

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The EPC encourages and supports the development and quality of Para sport in Europe. This is done - broadly - by providing sports programmes and initiatives for Para athletes, including Games; forging partnerships, taking part in and spreading the results of education and research and being a platform for the promotion of Para sport activities and opportunities.

Main tasks

History & Structure

The EPC was founded as the IPC European Committee in November 1991 and adopted its current name in 1999. In 2008 the permanent Office and Headquarters was established in Vienna, Austria. The EPC is composed of National Paralympic Committees, the European branches of disability-specific International Organisations of Sports for the Disabled and regional arms of international sports federations. 

 

A General Assembly, held every two years, is the supreme governing body of EPC. The EPC Executive Board (formerly known as the Executive Committee) is elected every four years by the members at the General Assembly. The committee is made up of the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer,  the Athletes' Representative and four Members-at-large. Besides the Executive Board, the daily duties are carried out by the Head of Office situated in Vienna. 

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An Athletes' Council and advisory groups also support the Executive Board in delivering for Members and athletes and helping the EPC meet its aims and objectives,

Governance 

The statutes detail the purpose of the EPC and how it is governed. The latest version was approved by the EPC General Assembly in 2023. The statutes can be viewed by clicking here.

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