Doc. 8279
11 December 1998

Football hooliganism

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Valk and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

      During the world football championship in 1998, held in France, serious acts of violence were committed by hooligans in Marseille and other French cities.

      148 members of the Assembly strongly condemned these acts of violence in Written Declaration No. 276 (Doc. 8148). These members stated, inter alia, that

—        the above-mentioned acts of violence are perpetrated by a small minority among a great many peaceful football supporters;

—        the media , in particular television, gave a distorted image which is detrimental to sports as a whole;

—        the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches of 1985 is the appropriate framework for co-operation in this field.

      They called on those responsible to take such measures as are necessary to prevent the recurrence of deplorable scenes of violence.

      In the year 2000, the final rounds of the European Football Cup are to be held in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is doubtful whether the developments and measures as urged in the written declaration will have reached such a stage as to exclude a repetition of the events of 1998.

      Those involved, in particular those instances directly engaged in football, have repeatedly stated their willingness, and have actually taken initiatives to decrease hooliganism. It must nevertheless be stated that the phenomenon has hardly decreased, let alone vanished.

      For these reasons, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i.       start consultations with a view to harmonisation of policy, leading to a course of action which would create optimal conditions for the European Championship;

ii.       start consultations and present proposals with the aimm of reducing hooliganism.

Signed : ¹

Valk, Netherlands, SOC

Arnason, Iceland, LDR

Bartumeu Cassany, Andorra, SOC

Chiliman, Romania, LDR

Fehr, Switzerland, LDR

Fleetwood, Sweden, EDG

Fyfe, United Kingdom, SOC

Hadjidemetriou, Cyprus, SOC

Khunov, Ukraine, UEL

Kiely, Ireland, LDR

Martelli, Italy, EPP/CD

O'Hara, United Kingdom, SOC

Risari, Italy, EPP/CD

Russell-Johnston, United Kingdom, LDR

Stepova, Czech Republic, SOC

Varela I Serra, Spain, LDR

Zingeris, Lithuania, EDG

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group