EOC sets out new host city selection timeline on the eve of 43rd EOC General Assembly, following fresh expressions of interest from across Europe
The European Olympic Committees [EOC] today announced that the host city of the 2019 European Games will be proposed for the approval of the EOC membership at an Extraordinary General Assembly in May 2015, with talks now ongoing with six cities who have expressed an interest in hosting the second edition.
The announcement comes following today’s meetings of the EOC Executive Committee and the 2019 European Games Working Group, ahead of the start of the 43rd EOC General Assembly in Baku – host city of the inaugural European Games in 2015. The current shortlist of six will be narrowed down to a single proposed host city by the EOC Executive Committee following negotiations during Q1 2015. The shortlist will remain confidential throughout this process.
Representatives of the proposed host city will then be invited to work alongside the 2019 European Games Working Group to develop a unique concept: tailor-made to the host’s needs, capabilities and priorities, and ready to continue the evolution of the European Games product. The Working Group will support the host city in defining the technical, operational, marketing and legacy requirements for the 2019 edition, covering the Sports Programme, transport and venues, and the allocation of licensing rights. That fully-fledged European Games concept will then be presented to the EOC membership at an Extraordinary General Assembly in Belek, Turkey, in May 2015.
Speaking from the Azerbaijani capital today, EOC President Patrick Hickey said:
"This new timeline will give us the time we need to assess properly which of the six cities is the best fit for the European Games. The process will take slightly longer than we first anticipated, but having six cities on the table is a dilemma we are very happy to have. We have had to turn away 14 sports from the inaugural edition in Baku, and we are going to be turning away five top-class potential hosts for the second edition – clearly the European Olympic family has a huge amount of enthusiasm for a continental Games."
President Hickey continued:
"The collaborative process between the proposed host city and the 2019 European Games Working Group was first approved by the EOC membership at our General Assembly in Valencia back in 2007 – it is really fundamental to the European Games philosophy. We do not want to put cities through a lengthy expensive process. We want to focus on flexibility, innovation, sustainability and value for hosts, athletes, fans and commercial partners."
President Hickey today accompanied the International Olympic Committee President, Dr Thomas Bach, at a meeting with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. The agenda covered the preparations for the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015, and the ongoing development of Olympic sport in Azerbaijan.
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Jack Zorab
Email: jack@jtassocs.com
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