It has been discussed since the morning, and will be voted on in the afternoon in the Plenary Session of the Parliament, the law plan “Regulations for the Digital Education Portal and the Digital Tutor, vocational guidance in secondary education, measures to support the education system in remote areas and other regulations of the Ministry of Education, Religion and Sports”, which also includes bundle 17 provisions of the Deputy Minister of Sports, Yannis Vroutsis.

The specific provisions come to supplement and strengthen Law 5085/24, on delinquency in sportvoted by broad consensus last February, to regulate questions about the elections of sports Federationsto shield sound financial management and, to a large extent, to act as a “bridge”, in view of the codification of the 25-year sports multi-legislation and the filing of the new sports framework law towards the end of the year.

Among other things, the provisions provide:

– At least 1/3 of the positions of the members of the Board of Directors of each sports Federation are mandatorily occupied by candidates of each gender. The number of candidates of each gender must be at least equal to 40% of the number of seats to be elected.
This amendment (until now it was only valid that the number of candidates of each gender must be at least equal to 1/3 of the positions to be elected) is made following a proposal by the Hellenic Olympic Committee for a quota, in the context of the equal and balanced participation of of both sexes, especially women, on the Boards of Federations of all sports, without the influence of social stereotypes.

– By completing terms of a total duration of 20 years, in executive positions of the Board of Sports Federations, a barrier to re-election is established in such a position and the right to be elected only as an ordinary member of the Board of Directors. This amendment abolishes the age discrimination of 70 years, establishes a maximum limit for executive positions of one or more Federations at 20 years, maintains the limit of up to three terms for the President and provides for a 4-year “break” from office for any other executive member completes two full terms.

– Managers will be appointed to the Boards of Directors of the sports Federations

  1. of School and University Sports, with the aim of the organized interconnection of Sports with Education, through the relevant authorities for the development and promotion of the sports of the Federations.
  2. of Electronic Governance (e-Kouros), in order to supply and manage the electronic platform “e-Kouros” of the Ministry of Sports, for the immediate registration of every required element of the Federation’s activity.
  3. of Sports Values ​​and Integrity, with the aim of promoting Olympic Values ​​and Ideals and cooperation with the competent bodies and the National Platform of Sports Integrity.

– Prerequisite for funding agencies (Federations, Associations, Unions) that are granted or financed by the Ministry of Sports, will now constitute the non-existence of debts, created after December 31, 2023, to the National Sports Centers. The necessary supporting document for the payment of the grant or financing will be the granting of a certificate from the EAK on non-existence of debts. In the event of a debt, the amount thereof will be withheld from the grant or financing to which the debtor is entitled and will be attributed to the EAK where the debt exists. The purpose of the regulation is to stop the existence of debts, which have not been paid for a long time by the debtors, to the EAKs and to ensure their proper financial operation, especially when the sports community is now financed with an additional 66 million euros per year from the taxation of profits of gamblers.

– In the special cases of imposing administrative sanctions in the context of sports meetings, held in closed facilities, the touching of smoke generators and torches is also added. DEAB will automatically impose a behind closed door penalty for the next home meeting if a smoke generator or torch is lit in a closed gym.
Until now only throwing was penalized and not touching, which is now only allowed in open sports facilities.

– DEAB fines to amateur sports clubs are rationalized and their submission range is from €1,000 to €50,000. The fines from €10,000 to €1,000,000, which have been applied without exception until now, remain only for Sports Corporations.

– The (mandatory written) submission of a recognition request to PAE by an existing or under establishment Fan club, is also notified to the Department of Clubs of the Directorate of Professional Sports of the Ministry of Sports. It is reminded that, if there is a written request submitted by one or more Fan Clubs to a specific PAE and it does not agree to one, then the PAE will not be entitled to the next funding from the taxation of the winnings of the players of games of chance. The approval of the PAE for the recognition and operation of each Fan Club expires on August 20 of each year and beyond this date any Fan Club that has not submitted all the necessary supporting documents to the Ministry will not be recognized.

– The current one is extended until the end of the 2024-2025 competition season 5-year contract for the provision of VAR services, charged to the Ministry of Digital Governance. This is the last year that the State undertakes the cost of VAR, so as not to disrupt its uninterrupted and effective application, which contributes to the credibility and integrity of the football league.

– In addition, it is encoded and crystallized framework for appointments of distinguished athletes in the Stategiven the existence of several pieces of legislation (2725/1999, 3812/2009, 4210/2023, 5025/2023) and the confusion caused in terms of their implementation, while the Technical Chamber of Greece is assigned the tasks of implementing and managing actions for the digital transformation of Sports, through “e-kouros”.