Doc. 8148 2^nd edition

10 July 1998

Football hooliganism

Written declaration No. 276

2^nd edition, originally tabled on 22 June 1998

1. The undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe strongly condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by hooligans in Marseille and in other French cities hosting the 1998 Football World Cup.

2.       Although this violence is the action of a very small minority among the huge crowds of peaceful football fans, its coverage by the media, and in particular television, gives a distorted image which is detrimental to sport as a whole.

3.       The European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in Particular at Football Matches of 1985 has contributed to the decrease of spectator violence, in particular inside stadia, and continues to be the appropriate framework for European co-operation in this field.

4.       Although hooliganism – as well as violence in general – are the consequence of social problems the solution of which cannot be found in the field of sports, we feel that more should be done to avoid the deplorable scenes we have been witnessing recently and therefore call on those responsible, including the Standing Committee of the European Convention on Spectator Violence, to:

i. adopt a more appropriate policy regarding ticketing, in particular in order to increase security through separation;

ii. develop more effective exchanges of information and intelligence;

iii. ensure that those arrested for hooliganism are charged and brought before a court and, if found guilty, are given custodial sentences which could be served in their countries of origin;

iv. take more effective measures to keep known hooligans away from sensitive football matches, including those taking part in other countries.

Signed : ¹

Adamcyzk, Poland, EPP/CD

Akçali, Turkey, EDG

Aliko, Albania, SOC

Andnor, Sweden, SOC

Anton, Moldova, UEL

Anusz, Poland, EPP/CD

Arnau, Spain, SOC

Arzilli, San Marino, EPP/CD

Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG

Aytaman, Turkey, EDG

Bartumeu Cassany, Andorra, SOC

Begaj, Albania, SOC

Bergqvist, Sweden, SOC

Biga-Friganovic, Croatia, SOC

Billing, Sweden, EDG

Bjőrck, Sweden, EDG

Blattmann, Norway, SOC

Bolinaga, Spain, EPP/CD

Brunhart, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

Bulic, Croatia, EPP/CD

Busic, Croatia, EPP/CD

Calner, Sweden, SOC

Chapman, United Kingdom, EDG

Christodoulides, Cyprus, UEL

Colvin, United Kingdom, EDG

Cox, United Kingdom, SOC

Cryer, United Kingdom, SOC

Cubreacov, Moldova, EPP/CD

Cunliffe, United Kingdom, SOC

Davis, United Kingdom, SOC

de Puig, Spain, SOC

Degn, Denmark, SOC

Demetriou, Cyprus, EPP/CD

Dias, Portugal, EPP/CD

Diaz de Mera, Spain, EPP/CD

Dinçer, Turkey, SOC

Dokle, Albania, SOC

Elo, Finland, SOC

Eltz, Croatia, EDG

Enright, Ireland, EPP/CD

Etherington, United Kingdom, SOC

Faldet, Norway, SOC

Fernandez Aguilar, Spain, EPP/CD

Filimonov, Russia, UEL

Fischer, Germany, EPP/CD

Fleetwood, Sweden, EDG

Frunda, Romania, EPP/CD

Fyfe, United Kingdom, SOC

Gabrielescu, Romania, EPP/CD

Gatterer, Austria, EPP/CD

Ghesquière, Belgium, EPP/CD

Gjellerod, Denmark, SOC

Glotov, Russia, UEL

Gonzalez Laxe, Spain, SOC

Guirado, Spain, SOC

Hadjidemetriou, Cyprus, SOC

Hagard, Sweden, EDG

Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR

Iwinski, Poland, SOC

Judd, United Kingdom, SOC

Kandare, Croatia, EPP/CD

Kautto, Finland, SOC

Kelam, Estonia, EPP/CD

Khukhunaishvili, Georgia, EPP/CD

Kiely, Ireland, LDR

Kirilov, Bulgaria, SOC

Krzyzanowska, Poland, EPP/CD

Kukk, Estonia, EPP/CD

Kulbaka, Russia, UEL

Kupstov, Russia, UEL

Kusnere, Latvia, EPP/CD

Kuzmickas, Lithuania, EDG

Kuznetsov, Russia, EPP/CD

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Lambergs, Latvia, EDG

Laternser, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

Lentz-Cornette, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

Libicki, Poland, EDG

Luczak, Poland, EPP/CD

Lupu, Romania, EPP/CD

Magnusson, Sweden, SOC

Maltsev, Russia, UEL

Martelli, Italy, EDG

Martínez Casaň, Spain, EPP/CD

Martínez, Spain, SOC

Mautner-Markhof, Austria, EPP/CD

McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC

Melnikov, Russia, UEL

Mitterrand, France, SOC

Moeller, Denmark, EDG

Mularoni, San Marino, EPP/CD

Myrvoll, Norway, UEL

Nastase, Romania, SOC

Newall, United Kingdom, EDG

Nothomb, Belgium, EPP/CD

O’Hara, United Kingdom, SOC

Obuljen, Croatia, EPP/CD

Oleinik, Russia, UEL

Palmitjavila Ribo, Andorra, LDR

Paslaru, Romania, SOC

Pickles, United Kingdom, EDG

Pobedinskaya, Russia, EPP/CD

Pokol, Hungary, EDG

Ponsonby, United Kingdom, SOC

Prosser, United Kingdom, SOC

Prusi, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, EDG

Puche, Spain, EPP/CD

Pulgar, Spain, EPP/CD

Radic, Croatia, EPP/CD

Radoš, Croatia, LDR

Ragnarsdóttir, Iceland, EDG

Raškinis, Lithuania, EPP/CD

Ringstadt, Norway, LDR

Rise, Norway, EPP/CD

Roseta, Portugal, EPP/CD

Rugate, Latvia, EPP/CD

Russell-Johnston, United Kingdom, LDR

Schreiner, France, EDG

Shuba, Russia, EPP/CD

Silay, Turkey, EDG

Simonsen, Norway, NR

Sincai, Romania, SOC

Slobodnik, Slovakia, EDG

Slomka, Poland, EDG

Sole Tura, Spain, SOC

Staciokas, Lithuania, EDG

Staes, Belgium, EPP/CD

Stanoiu, Romania, SOC

Steolea, Romania, EDG

Stepová, Czech Republic, SOC

Stoyanova, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

Sungur, Turkey, EDG

Tanik, Turkey, EDG

Telgmaa, Estonia, EDG

Terborg, Germany, SOC

Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

Townend, United Kingdom, EDG

Uroic, Croatia, EPP/CD

Valk, Netherlands, SOC

van der Linden, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

Varela, Spain, EPP/CD

Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC

Vis, United Kingdom, SOC

Voronin, Moldova, UEL

Wärnersson, Sweden, SOC

Wielowieyski, Poland, EPP/CD

Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

Yürür, Turkey, EDG

Total :       148

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