A better approach to safety at sports events

The Council of Europe has worked to make sports grounds safer since 1985 when the Convention on Spectator Violence brought countries together in the face of tragedies such as the Heysel stadium disaster when 39 people lost their lives. The new Convention is an update, brining in an approach based on three interdependent pillars – safety, security and service. The only convention of its kind internationally, it moves away from a violence-focused approach to propose measures based on the best of European standards, promoting co-operation between the public and the private sector and between supporters and club owners, to provide a secure and welcoming environment at all sports events.

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