• EOC President Capralos joined by IOC President Bach and European sport leaders
• €3 million invested into European NOCs after 2023 European Games success
• Istanbul’s ratified as 2027 European Games hosts

  Bucharest, Romania; 7 June 2024: The European Olympic Committees’ (EOC) 53rd General Assembly in Bucharest reflected on its recent successes and the great strength of the European Olympic Movement ahead of a pathway of events and activities set to keep sport at the heart of the continent at the heart of sport.The General Assembly was joined at the Palace of Parliament by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, Presidents of Europe’s National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and leaders from European and International Federations ahead of the Olympic Games’ return to Europe in less than 50 days’ time in Paris.EOC President Spyros Capralos looked forward to Paris 2024 where European athletes are again expected to win more than 40% of the Olympic medals available. However, President Capralos also expressed the EOC’s concern at the announcement by World Athletics to award prize money to Olympic gold medallists at Paris 2024. He underlined that this threatens to undermine the principles of Olympic solidarity that sit at the heart of the Olympic Movement. IOC President Bach addressed the General Assembly on the first day, noting the strength of the relationship between the EOC and IOC, especially in the mission to use sport as a driver for social development and peacebuilding. “Relations between the EOC and IOC have reached new heights in the last couple of years, and we are more aligned than ever when it comes in particular to our mission to make the world a better place through sport” President Bach said. President Bach also underlined the importance of the Olympic values and the unifying power of the Olympic Games in Paris. “The Olympic Games is the place for unity, peaceful competition and where everybody has to respect the same rules. We have to stay true to these values and those who are not following rules cannot claim the full rights because of their violation of the rules,” President Bach added. During the General Assembly, Istanbul, Türkiye was approved by the members as hosts for the 4th edition of the European Games in 2027, where the leadership of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the city’s passion and expertise promises to build on the sporting and financial success of the 3rd European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023.

President Capralos confirmed in Bucharest that following the 2023 European Games, a further €3 million will be distributed to NOCs to directly benefit athletes, while Deloitte’s economic impact report revealed it was the most cost-effective edition of the Games yet to further strength the standing of Europe’s premier multi-sport event. EOC President Capralos said: “We are delighted to have received support from the entire European Olympic family to stage the next European Games in Istanbul. With the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Turkish NOC, the EOC has found the perfect partners to deliver a European Games which captivates the host city, host country, Europe and indeed the world. “Already, we are being asked for copies of Deloitte’s report into Krakow-Malopolska by a number of large cities interested in potentially hosting the 2031 edition, showcasing the growing interest in our Games.” President Capralos went on to highlight the strong foundations that the EOC has built thanks to the success of its events which will allow further support of its NOCs and their athletes. He added: “This year is a special one for European sport, with our success in Poland a recent memory and many more special memories to be created in Paris. “It is crucial that we continue to support our NOCs to help them achieve their goals as they and their athletes are at the heart of everything we do. “It is always a pleasure to provide recognition for their achievements and through the inauguration of the Janez Kocijančič Award for the best male and female European Games athletes, won by Jessica Rossi and Lasha Bekauri, and the awarding of the Winter Piotr Nurowski Prize to Minja Korhonen, we have been able to do so this week. “The foundations are in place for our achievements to continue, with the next Olympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, and the next European Games in Istanbul. “We have a strong plan in Strategic Agenda 2030 to keep us on track for success both on and off the field of play. We have a stronger team now than ever before to serve the NOCs of Europe.” In addition to the athletes’ awards, EOC Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi was awarded the prestigious EOC Order of Merit Award for his long and distinguished service to sport in Italy and in Europe, while Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Tone Jagodic, Oleg Volkov and Mimi Vurdelja received EOC Olympic Laurel Awards.