Nine European countries, including Romania, have called on the European Union to reduce funding for sports organizations, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that have permitted athletes from Russia and Belarus to return to competitions. This announcement was made on Tuesday by the Estonian Ministry of Culture, as reported by Reuters.
The proposal, directed to Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Equality between Generations, Youth, Culture, and Sport, targets major organizations including the IOC, the International Fencing Federation (FIE), and World Aquatics, which oversees six aquatic sports: swimming, diving, high diving, artistic swimming, water polo, and open water swimming.
According to Reuters, this initiative marks the strongest collective action taken by EU member states to leverage financial mechanisms against international sports organizations due to the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes, setting the stage for a potential showdown between European governments and the Olympic movement ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
None of the three international sports organizations mentioned have immediately responded to requests for comments from Reuters.
It is noted that on July 7, the IOC Executive Committee temporarily lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and stated that previous restrictions on Russian athletes were no longer applicable.
Which Nine EU Countries Seek to Penalize the IOC?
The nine European nations—Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Sweden—have requested that these governing bodies be excluded from the EU’s Erasmus+ program and other financial support programs.
“Respect for human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful relations between nations are among the fundamental principles upon which international sport and the Olympic movement are based,” the nine countries stated in a joint letter addressed to Commissioner Micallef.
They argue that allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete disregards the reality faced by Ukrainian athletes, who cannot train under equal conditions due to displacement, destruction of infrastructure, or enlistment in armed forces.
“Any assertion that sport can be separated from politics lacks credibility when thousands of innocent Ukrainians have lost their lives, and when sport continues to be instrumentalized by the regimes in Russia and Belarus,” the statement reads.
In addition to withdrawing financial support from these sports organizations, the nine countries have proposed limiting the involvement of organizations that do not adhere to these principles in major European sports forums and discussions coordinated by the European Union.
