Everyone has the legitimate expectation to attend sports events in a safe and welcoming manner. This entails the need to tackle violence and to uphold the rule of law inside and outside sports venues. Safeguarding these rights is essential, as is the important role that sport can play in promoting the core values of the European Union and of the Council of Europe, such as social cohesion, inclusion, respect, and equality.

To meet this expectation, the “Balance S4” joint project has been created within the framework of the Saint-Denis Convention, which promotes an integrated multi-agency approach to safety, security and service at sports events. Throughout the duration of the project, the overall objective will be to achieve the necessary balance between the safety, security and service pillars, as most of the knowledge and expertise available to date concerns the security pillar.

To this end, “Balance S4” aims to empower target groups such as safety managers, stewards, supporter liaison officers & disability access officers, as well as police officers and supporters’ organisations by:

• Collecting and analysing information on existing safety and service arrangements and best practices at both national and European level;
• Supporting knowledge and expertise sharing between relevant stakeholders; and
• Providing tailored guidance, awareness-raising and training/capacity-building activities on a multilateral basis.

These three main actions will contribute to reach the project’s goal of making sports events safer, more secure, more inclusive and more welcoming, a place where everyone can feel the magic of the sporting moment without having to worry about safety issues, spectator violence or misbehaviour.