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Good governance in Sport: comparative law aspects

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Abstract

Following the major scandals that have recently stained the reputation of the world of professional sports, it has become clear that rules should be set out in order to ensure that sports organisations are governed in a proper and ethical manner. While the Sport Movement engaged in a major reform process, especially at the level of regional and international sports federations, States in Europe also consider it necessary to regulate in the field of sports governance in its micro-sense, namely the organisation and management within sports organisations. As a result, one is witnessing the emergence of a new trend among European States to include sports governance as a topic of Sports Governance in its macro sense, namely the relationship between the State and the Sport Movement. In doing so, States have adopted all kinds of measures. While examining different types of measures, ranging from compulsory codes of conduct or covenants on ethical sports to voluntary codes on good governance and selfevaluation tools, this paper will in particular focus on mandatory codes on sports governance, namely a measure designed to encourage good governance within sports organisations by making public funding conditional upon compliance with a defined set of sports governance requirements.

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Notes

  1. World economic forum, What do we mean by ‘governance’?, 26 February 2016, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/02/what-is-governance-and-why-does-it-matter (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  2. See in particular: Miège 2009; Chaker 2004.

  3. Italy however has a more liberal model of Sports Governance.

  4. See in particular: Camy et al. 2004; Camy 2005; Henry 41–52.

  5. Houlihan 2002.

  6. Chaker 2004, pp. 26–27.

  7. EU Expert group on good governance, Principles of good governance in sport, p. 5, http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/sport/library/policy_documents/xg-gg-201307-dlvrbl2-sept2013.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  8. Ibidem.

  9. See in particular: Resolution No. 2 ‘Towards better governance in sport through enhanced co-operation between governmental bodies and stakeholders in sport’, https://www.icsspe.org/system/files/Council%20of%20Europe%20Resolution%20%28Nov%202016%29.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  10. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Resolution 2199 (2018) ‘Towards a framework for modern sports governance’, 24 January 2018, available at: http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-EN.asp?fileid=24443&lang=en (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  11. About the reform process at the FIFA: https://fr.fifa.com/governance/how-fifa-works/the-reform-process.html (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  12. About good governance reforms adopted at the UEFA in 2017: https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/newsid=2455199.html?redirectFromOrg=true (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  13. IOC Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement.

  14. About Governance Taskforce of ASOIF: http://www.asoif.com/governance-task-force (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  15. SIGA Good Governance Universal Standards Implementation Guidelines, see: http://siga-sport.net/pdfs/Good_Governance_Universal_Standards.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  16. Art. L. 131-15-1 Code du Sport.

  17. See: http://www.sport-adeps.be/index.php?id=4198# (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  18. See: https://www.swissolympic.ch/fr/federations/valeurs-ethique/charte-ethique.html (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  19. Loi 2017-261 visant à préserver l’éthique du sport, à renforcer la régulation et la transparence du sport professionnel et à améliorer la compétitivité des clubs, JORF n°0052, 2 March 2017, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000034111794&fastPos=1&fastReqId=1962710652&categorieLien=cid&oldAction=rechTexte (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  20. Principles of Good Governance for Sport and Recreation: http://sramedia.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/9bb47d57-7523-4966-8839-707377f94148.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  21. Annexe I-5 Code of Sports, www.legifrance.gouv.fr (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  22. Mieux adapter la gouvernance des fédérations sportives aux enjeux de la société, Préconisations du CNOSF, http://www.franceolympique.com/files/File/organisation/cnosf/Gouvernance%20CNOSF.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  23. Bundesgesetz über Vereine, StF: BGBl. I Nr. 66/2002, §8.

  24. Haas and Neumayer 2017, p. 849.

  25. Article 11 Loi 2013-907 du 11 octobre 2013 sur la transparence de la vie publique, www.legifrance.gouv.fr (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  26. Art. 20 Loi 2013-907 du 11 octobre 2013 sur la transparence de la vie publique, www.legifrance.gouv.fr (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  27. See: https://www.swissolympic.ch/fr/federations/instruments-conduite/modeles-et-outils-aide.html?tabId=c15050ef-b26b-46f0-bc9f-88606867afa5 (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  28. The French Government launched a major reform process of Sports Governance in 2018. Several rounds of consultations and workshop among major stakeholders have taken place and an end report was published in July 2018. Based on this report, the objective appears to move from a State-centralized governance structure towards a collegial governance model with allocated responsibilities. See: L. Lefèvre, P. Bayeux, Nouvelle gouvernance du Sport, août 2018, http://www.sports.gouv.fr/autres/Gouvernance_Rapport.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018). See also: Miège (2018a, b, c).

  29. The Minimum Quality Requirements were initially adopted in 2011 by the General Assembly of the NOC-NSF but were operational only later.

  30. Code for Sports Governance, UK Sport, Sport England, 2016, http://www.uksport.gov.uk/resources/governance-code (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  31. Decreet van 10 juni 2016 houdende de erkenning en de subsidiëring van de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S., 11.07.2016, 43201; see also: Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793; see also: Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  32. De 13 aanbevelingen voor Goed Sportbestuur, Pas toe of leg uit!, NOC-NSF, 2005, https://www.kenniscentrumsport.nl/publicatie/?de-13-aanbevelingen-voor-goed-sportbestuur&kb_id=2676 (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  33. Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation, December 2015: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486622/Sporting_Future_ACCESSIBLE.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  34. Code for Sports Governance, UK Sport, Sport England, 2016, p. 14–15, http://www.uksport.gov.uk/resources/governance-code (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  35. Decreet van 10 juni 2016 houdende de erkenning en de subsidiëring van de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S., 11.07.2016, 43201; see also: Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793; see also: Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  36. Minimale Kwaliteitseisen 2018, in: Bestedingsplan en Richtlijnen Sportagenda 2017+ Bestedingsjaar 2018, Bijlage A, p. 33–35, https://www.nocnsf.nl/…/4a1.-bestedingsplan-en-richtlijnen-2018.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  37. EU Expert group on good governance, Principles of good governance in sport, p. 5, http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/sport/library/policy_documents/xg-gg-201307-dlvrbl2-sept2013.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  38. In the Netherlands though, sports federations may also benefit from public funding from other sources, such as localities, where the Minimum Quality Requirements do not play any role.

  39. Art. 9 and 16 Decreet van 10 juni 2016 houdende de erkenning en de subsidiëring van de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S., 11.07.2016, 43201; Art. 11 Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793.

  40. Art. 71 Decreet van 10 juni 2016 houdende de erkenning en de subsidiëring van de georganiseerde sportsector, B.S., 11.07.2016, 43201.

  41. See: https://www.vlaamsesportfederatie.be/vsf-thema/bestuur-van-de-federatie (Accessed on 15 December 2018).

  42. This is for instance the case of the IOC Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement, which include rules on the fight against doping and undue influence on betting along principles on transparency and democratic process. Similarly, the indicators identified by ASOIF Governance Taskforce in 2016, command International Federations to adopt rules to tackle match fixing and manipulation of competitions as well as regulations to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and to ensure their members comply with it.

  43. Section 8, Minimale Kwaliteitseisen 2018, in: Bestedingsplan en Richtlijnen Sportagenda 2017+ Bestedingsjaar 2018, Bijlage A, p. 34, https://www.nocnsf.nl/…/4a1.-bestedingsplan-en-richtlijnen-2018. (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  44. Ibidem.

  45. Principle 24 Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018). See also: Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, Annex 5, Indicator 14, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793.

  46. Principle 23 Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  47. Principle 22 Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  48. Principle 40 Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018). See also: Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, Annex 5, Indicator 12, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793.

  49. This is for instance the case of the IOC Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance of the Olympic and Sports Movement, which include rules on the fight against doping and undue influence on betting along principles on transparency and democratic process. Similarly, the indicators identified by ASOIF Governance Taskforce in 2016, command International Federations to adopt rules to tackle match fixing and manipulation of competitions as well as regulations to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and to ensure their members comply with it.

  50. See: EU Expert group on good governance, Principles of good governance in sport, p. 5, http://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/sport/library/policy_documents/xg-gg-201307-dlvrbl2-sept2013.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  51. Principle 21 Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018). See also: Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, Annex 5, Indicator 7, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793.

  52. See: Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, Annex 4, ‘Harde Indicatoren’, Dimensies 1-3, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793.

  53. Principle 8 Code Goed Bestuur in Vlaamse Sportfederaties, Sport Vlaanderen, 2016, https://www.sport.vlaanderen/media/4679/code-goed-bestuur-in-vlaamse-sporfederaties.pdf (Accessed 15 December 2018).

  54. Besluit van 16 September 2016 van de Vlaamse Regering tot vaststelling van de algemene erkennings- en subsidiëringsvoorwaarden voor de georganiseerde sportsector, Annex 5, Indicator 1, B.S. 05.12.2016, 79793.

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Acknowledgements

The views expressed in the present paper are the authors’ views only. The author wishes to express her gratitude to Professor Ulrich Haas for his support in this project, and Mrs. Sonia Vanden Broeck from Sport Vlaanderen and her team and Mr. Huibert Brands from the NOC-NSF for their insightful comments on the functioning and practice of the system existing in their region or country, and Ms. Maren Langhorst and Ms. Helena Mergl for their research regarding German-speaking jurisdictions.

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  1. Swiss Institute of Comparative Law, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Stéphanie De Dycker

  2. Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Stéphanie De Dycker

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Appendix: Illustrative table: functioning of Sports Governance codes at national level

Appendix: Illustrative table: functioning of Sports Governance codes at national level

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De Dycker, S. Good governance in Sport: comparative law aspects. Int Sports Law J 19, 116–128 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-019-00153-8

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