Council of Europe: the committee proposes establishing an observatory to assess football governance

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's (PACE) committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media has called on the authorities of the European Union, in consultation with the IOC, FIFA, and the Council of Europe, "to promote the establishment of an independent observatory entrusted to assess the governance of football by placing the emphasis on ethics and the integrity of elections," indicated the Council of Europe, on 04/12/2017.

The observatory would not have the governing power over the sport but to govern the sport but would "ensure that the principles of good governance are being effectively implemented and shared," said the culture committee, after a meeting in Budapest (HUN).

"Questionable connections between sport and the top levels of politics, corruption, financial malpractice, cases of tax evasion and other scandals continue to make front-page headlines. Football cannot be a lawless zone; action must be taken to deal with and eradicate these scourges. This requires greater effort and determination by all partners. It is necessary to ensure 'genuine…