How to implement the Convention?

The Saint-Denis Convention is complemented by the related Recommendation Rec(2021)1, adopted in April 2021 by the Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events (or Saint-Denis Committee). It is the synthesis and update of all recommendations adopted by the Standing Committee of the Spectator Violence Convention across more than 3 decades. It supports the Convention and explains how to implement it in a very detailed manner, by presenting established and recommended best practices.

This Recommendation is undoubtedly the ideal supplement to interpret the articles of the Convention. Thanks to its four annexes below, each state can evaluate to which extent its safety, security and service arrangements for football matches and other sport events comply with good practices described in the Recommendation.

The Recommendation should be revised and updated by the Committee on a regular basis, and possibly complemented by other recommendations on new specific and transversal topics.

 Core principles set out in the recommendation

Annex A: Safety – Recommended Good Practices

Annex B: Security – Recommended Good Practices 

Annex C: Service – Recommended Good Practices 

Annex D: Checklists

Spanish version

T-S4 Recommendation Rec (2022) 1 of the Saint-Denis Committee on a Model structure of a national strategy on safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events

Adopted by the Saint-Denis Committee on 1 September 2022, this Recommendation aims at supporting States Parties in complying with their obligation to develop national and local strategies, to be regularly evaluated and refined in the light of national and international experience and good practices (Article 4.4 of the Convention). This document identifies a list of 10 issues which comprise a model structure of a national strategy on safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events.

T-S4 Recommendation Rec (2022) 2 of the Saint-Denis Committee on a Model national legislative and regulatory framework on safety, security and service at football matches and other sports events

This Recommendation, which was adopted by the Saint-Denis Committee on 1 September 2022, is based on the provision of the Convention that requires States Parties to ensure that their legal, regulatory or administrative frameworks clarify the roles of the relevant agencies (Article 4.5 of the Convention). Its aim is to provide a model legislative and regulatory framework that facilitates the task of States Parties who wish to adopt of refine their national laws on safety, security and safety at football matches and other sports events (Annex 1), as well as their national regulations on stewarding and private security at these events (Annex 2).

ECRI's General Policy Recommendation No.12 on combating racism and racial discrimination in the field of sport, sets out a wide range of measures that the governments of member States are advised to adopt in order to successfully combat racism and racial discrimination in the field of sport. ECRI's suggestions as to how this can be achieved cover, among other things, ensuring that adequate legal provisions are in place to combat racial discrimination and to penalise racist acts and providing training to the police to enable them to identify, deal with and prevent racist behaviour at sporting events.

According to ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No. 15, hate speech is based on the unjustified assumption that a person or a group of persons are superior to others; it incites acts of violence or discrimination, thus undermining respect for minority groups and damaging social cohesion. In this recommendation, ECRI calls for speedy reactions by public figures to hate speech; promotion of self-regulation of media; raising awareness of the dangerous consequences of hate speech; withdrawing financial and other support from political parties that actively use hate speech; and criminalising its most extreme manifestations, while respecting freedom of expression. Anti-hate speech measures must be well-founded, proportionate, non-discriminatory, and not be misused to curb freedom of expression or assembly nor to suppress criticism of official policies, political opposition and religious beliefs.