Greek MEP asks European Commission about sports match-fixing safeguards
Regulation1 min read
Greek MEP Nikos Pappas submitted a written question to the European Commission about EU measures to prevent and detect sports competition manipulation. The questions follow a Greek judicial investigation into alleged corruption and match manipulation, with six arrest warrants reportedly issued; Pappas asked about cross-border cooperation, whistleblower protection and progress on EU accession to the Macolin Convention.
Nikos Pappas, a member of the European Parliament for The Left, has asked the European Commission about the effectiveness of EU measures against match-fixing.
The written question follows a Greek judicial investigation into alleged corruption and manipulation of basketball matches. Six arrest warrants have reportedly been issued, one of which is said to concern the president of the Hellenic Basketball Federation. Pappas said the matter must be handled with full respect for the presumption of innocence.
Pappas asked how well existing EU tools prevent and detect manipulation, including whether refereeing is transparent, federations are accountable and checks on reports are independent. He asked what the Commission plans to do to strengthen cross-border cooperation, information sharing between authorities and protection for people reporting corruption in sport.
His question cited Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the EU work plan for sport for 2024 to 2027, which identifies integrity and the fight against competition manipulation as priorities. Greece has ratified the Macolin Convention, which provides a cooperation framework for preventing, detecting and combating manipulation of sporting events. Pappas asked what results an initiative planned for 2025 had produced in resolving the deadlock over EU accession to the convention, and what further measures were planned.