One of the specific objectives of this project is setting up an online resource centre providing relevant information on existing tools to combat hate speech in sport. To identify measures to prevent, counter, report and remedy hate speech, notably through the No Hate Speech Movement campaign, the Gender Equality Strategy of the Council of Europe, the programme of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport and other relevant instruments;

 

 Specific instruments in sport

 

The project's aims are embedded in a number of treaty provisions in particular Articles 2 and Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and Article 10, Article 19 and Article 67(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

The general principles of non-discrimination and equality are also reaffirmed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, which – under the Lisbon Treaty – has the same legal value as the Treaties. The Charter states explicitly in its Article 20 that everyone is equal before the law. Its Article 21(1) further prohibits “any discrimination based on any ground[s] such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation”.

This project builds on the Council of Europe expertise in the fight against hate speech and in the development of sport policies and norms:

• The European Convention on Human Rights
• The European Social Charter
• The European Sports Charter
• The Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No. 218), also known as Saint-Denis Convention
• Recommendation on the prevention of racism, xenophobia and racial intolerance in sport (2001/6)
• Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity
• Recommendation Rec (2015) 1 of the Standing Committee on Safety, Security and Service at Football Matches and other Sports Events (as revised in 2019 and adopted in 2020)
• Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on preventing and combating sexism
• ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 12 (coe.int)

The project is looking at the findings of the ECRI country monitoring reports, the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, existing Council of Europe texts and studies of the Anti-Discrimination Department and is part of the legacy of the No Hate Speech Movement Youth Campaign.