The third awareness raising session of Integrisport Erasmus+ on combating sport manipulation and match fixing took place between 2-4 December in Vilnius, and was co-organized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the Lithuanian Sport Centre, together with CSCF-Foundation for Sport Integrity.
During this 3-day event, which was organized in the framework of the EU-financed Project Integrisport Erasmus+, the representatives of Lithuanian Law Enforcement and Judiciary had in-depth conversations and were provided with a comprehensive approach on how to combat sport manipulation and how to co-operate with domestic and international stakeholders to tackle this very serious phenomenon.
The issue of sport manipulation was introduced by representatives of Lithuanian competent authorities, such as the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Lithuanian Football Federation and the Gambling Supervisory Authority, and also by international organizations, including EU Athletes, Global Lottery Monitoring System and CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity, the coordinator of Integrisport Erasmus+.
The Council of Europe, as supporting partner of Integrisport Erasmus+, presented the Convention on Manipulation of Sports Competition and the international aspect of the co-operation in this domain.
Mrs. Kornelija Tiesnesytė, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sport expressed in her opening speech that “it is very important unite forces in fight agains sport integrity threats. Sport is crosssectoral phenomena and I hope this seminar will help Lithuanian law enforcement officers and prosecutors to recognize patterns of match-fixing while investigating other crimes. The seminar is also a chance to strengthen cooperation at national and international level and exchange good practice.”
Norbert Rubicsek, director of CSCF and Integrisport Erasmus+ project manager added, “Criminal procedures in sport manipulation- related cases are unique: they are frequently committed in two or more countries and involve, in some way or another, the competencies of the private sector, of which sport is one. This is why national and trans-national co-operation amongst law enforcement and judiciary and other governmental organizations on the one hand and the private sector on the other hand, is a vital step in the fight against this phenomenon.”
The Integrisport Erasmus+ awareness raising sessions in each partner country give law enforcement officers and judicial authorities the chance to better understand and tackle the dangers of sport manipulation to sport and to society. Project partners include Cyprus Police, Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports (FINCIS), Rapid Response and Special Police Force – Hungary, National Tax and Customs Administration – Hungary, Ministry of Security and Justice – the Netherlands, The Lithuanian Sport Centre– Lithuania, Ministry of Justice – Judicial Police – Portugal, Presidium of the Police Force, Ministry of Interior – Slovak Republic, GLMS – The Global Lottery Monitoring System, EU Athletes, Aix-Marseille University – Centre of Sport and the coordinator, Stichting CSCF – Foundation for Sport Integrity, and the Council of Europe (CoE) as a supporting organisation. Integrisport is also a partner project of the KCOOS+ project of the CoE.
The next awareness raising session will be held in Helsinki in February 2020.
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