By Will Baxley on SwimSwam
In the aftermath of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, nine European Union countries have called on the supranational organization to defund the IOC as well as World Aquatics.
A letter penned by Sweden and signed by eight other countries to EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef demanded that the EU not give money to sports organizations that go against EU values. Such organizations, the letter says, include the IOC in light of its recent decision, as well as World Aquatics and the International Gymnastics Federation, which have moved to fully reintegrate Russian and Belarusian athletes into their respective sports.
Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Romania, Sweden, Denmark, and The Netherlands signed the letter. All six EU countries that share a border with Russia – the first six countries listed above – were among the countries to sign.
At the beginning of the month, the IOC announced it was lifting suspensions on the Russian Olympic Committee only two days after a Russian attack on Kyiv killed 22 people. The IOC said they made this decision because the national committee stopped recognizing local chapters in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
As SwimSwam previously reported, Estonia was the swiftest European country to react to the news with a call to defund the IOC.
Outside of the EU, Canada took a hardline stance by saying they would not allow any Russian athletes at any events funded by Ottawa. The United Kingdom culture secretary Lisa Nandy, who has kept her position amid the prime minister and cabinet changes, condemned the IOC’s decision but didn’t announce any tangible actions her government would take. In the United States, the host of the next Olympics, there has been no reaction from the White House.
Full Letter
Dear Commissioner Glenn Micallef,
We sincerely appreciate your active support for Ukraine and your commitment to preventing the use of international sports by Russia and Belarus for political purposes.
Despite repeated statements and calls by the Ministers of the European Union and other countries, including at the most recent meetings of European Council[1] and the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council of the Council of the European Union[2] , urging international sports organizations not to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes, coaches, referees, and officials to participate in international sporting competitions until Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has ended, International Olympic Committee and certain international sports organisations, such as the World Aquatics and the International Gymnastics Federation, have chosen a different course.
These statements reflect the reality that Ukrainian athletes are unable to train and prepare under equal conditions. Many have been displaced, directly affected by the destruction caused by the war, or have chosen to defend their country and fellow citizens. In this context, any assertions that sport can be separated from politics ring hollow when thousands of innocent Ukrainians have lost their lives and when sport continues to be instrumentalised by the Russian and Belarusian regimes.
Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, enabled by the Belarusian government, is abhorrent and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and fundamental international obligations. Respect for human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful relations between nations are among the core principles underpinning international sport and the Olympic movement. While fully respecting the autonomy of sports organizations, the EU Sports Ministers have consistently called on international sports bodies to uphold and defend these principles.
We would like to express serious concern that certain international sports organisations have chosen not to align their decisions with these fundamental values. By doing so, they have demonstrated a clear divergence from the values on which the European Union is founded.
In light of the recent tendencies, including IOC’s decisions of the 7th of May[3] and 7th of July[4] , and while continuing to respect the autonomy of sports organisations, we would ask the European Commission to consider the necessary steps to ensure that organisations whose actions are inconsistent with the values of the European Union do not benefit from EU financial support. This should include, in particular, funding under the Erasmus+ programme and other relevant EU programmes, and to ensure that they do not play a prominent role in relevant EU forums and cooperation platforms, including the EU Sport Forum.
It is regrettable that such measures should need to be considered. However, where these organisations choose not to uphold the values that the European Union seeks to promote and defend, access to EU funding and related benefits should remain suspended until they demonstrate a renewed commitment to those principles.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Nine Countries Call For European Union to Defund World Aquatics, IOC
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