KEEP CRIME OUT OF SPORT – Together against criminal manipulations of sports competitions - #KCOOS
JOINT PROJECT: European Commission (DG HOME) & Council of Europe (Sports Division)
WHEN: 1 January 2016 – 30 June 2017

 

  Conception of project KCOOS

The European Union, the Council of Europe and states around the world have recognized that sport has entered into the economic and criminal justice domain, due to links to fraud, organized crime and corruption.

The Council of Europe Convention on the manipulation of sports competitions (STCE n°2015) has been open for signatures by member states and non-Member States since 18 September 2014. The Convention adoption followed years of intensive drafting, which involved all relevant actors, including international organisations and countries from most continents around the world. The purpose of this Convention is to prevent, detect, punish and discipline the manipulation of sports competitions, as well as enhance the exchange of information and national and international cooperation between the public authorities concerned, and with sports organisations and sports betting operators. As of 1 December 2015, 21 Member States have signed the Convention, and two of these (Norway and Portugal) have ratified it.

For such a Convention to be effective and useful in the fight against sports manipulation, public and private authorities need to be harmonized and collaborate in investigations. Cooperation between authorities from the various States needs to be fostered.


Establishment of project KCOOS

This project aimed to therefore explore innovative approaches to combating the manipulation of sports competitions.  The Directorate General for Home Affairs, DG HOME, of the European Commission awarded a grant to the Council of Europe/European Partial Agreement for Sport for this project following an open call for proposals, and both institutions are funding the implementation of KCOOS, in cooperation with a number of organisations. The project runed for 18 months, from January 2016 until June 2017.


What project KCOOS aimed to achieve

  • KCOOS raised awareness of the issues surrounding match-fixing and sports betting.
  • It provided practical assistance with implementing necessary measures to combat sports manipulations and technical assistance with regulating sports betting.
  • It also promoted the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, which was adopted in 2014 and is currently open for signatures and ratifications universally.

What were the main objectives of project KCOOS?

  • To collect information on the current status within EU and Council of Europe member states in the fight against match fixing and sports betting regulations and to build a network of national contacts;
  • To offer practical assistance and to facilitate the exchange of good practices among countries through regional seminars, study visits and expert missions;
  • To assist with the setting up of national platforms, regulatory structures and other supporting structures and to strengthen the institutional capacity of relevant authorities;
  • To support countries in implementing the Convention nationally, including transposition of the Convention into national legislation, if applicable.

Who is contributing to the success of project KCOOS?

In illustration of KCOOS aims and objectives, it is working in collaboration with partners representing all the important actors in the fight against match-fixing. Thus, the project works with input from the sports movement, betting operators, betting regulatory authorities, public authorities, law enforcement.
Find more about our partners.


Further information

  Follow us on twitter for all the latest news on KCOOS and on the world of sports manipulations! @KCOOS_coe

Write to us, we would love to hear from you!

Download the KCOOS flyer 

Download the project guidelines

contact us

Cassandra Matilde Fernandes

Senior Project Officer - Sport Division
DG Democracy

Council of Europe

 Telephone: + 33 (0)3 90 21 62 17

  Email: Cassandra Fernandes

Caroline Larghi

Assistant- Sport Division
DG Democracy

Council of Europe

 Telephone: + 33 (0)3 88 41 34 29

 Email: Caroline Larghi