Doc. 9619

    4 November 2002

    Violent attacks on Italian football pitches

    Written Question No 409

    Reply from the Committee of Ministers

    adopted at the 815th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (30 October 2002)

    I. Written Question No 409 by Mr Mehmet Telek (Doc. 9430)

          Greatly concerned by the recent incidents of violence that occurred following the FC Roman vs. Galatasaray football match in Rome on 13 March 2002;

          Welcoming the decision of the Union of European Football Associations on the matter;

          Noting with concern that there is a rise in similar incidents in Europe;

          Strongly believing that sports events should be seen as opportunities for uniting peoples, promoting mutual respect, tolerance and fair play;

          Reaffirming our strong commitment to the defence of the ethical values in sport and to the role sport plays;

          Observing that the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and relevant resolutions adopted hitherto by the Committee of Ministers has not been effective enough to prevent these incidents;

          Mr Telek,

          To ask the Committee of Ministers,

          i. whether there has been any investigation into the above-mentioned acts of violence in Rome within the framework of the monitoring mechanism set up by the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and

          ii. what further measures the Committee of Ministers envisages taking in order to prevent such acts and ensure that their perpetrators are prosecuted.

    II. Reply by the Committee of Ministers

    1.       The incident to which Written Question No. 409 refers occurred on the occasion of a match between the Roma AS and the Galatasaray football teams in Rome on 15 March 2002.

    2.       At its 22nd meeting in Strasbourg, on 4 and 5 July 2002, the Standing Committee of the European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches (T-RV) heard an oral report on this incident from the Italian delegate and took note of the written national report prepared by Italy for the meeting.

    3.       The Standing Committee does not investigate individual or particular incidents. However, under the monitoring mechanism – the 'Compliance with Commitments' project – used by the Standing Committee, the delegate of Italy has recently presented an auto-evaluation report on that country's implementation of the Convention as a whole (T-RV(2002)7).

    4.       The affair is now in the hands of the Italian judicial authorities. The Committee of Ministers cannot therefore give a final reply while this matter is sub judice.

    5.       The delegate of Italy to the Standing Committee has undertaken to inform the Secretariat of the results of the judicial investigation and of any possible subsequent legal proceedings.