Press Releases

The Law Commissioner, Ms Louiza Christodoulidou Zannetou, held a formal meeting on March 30, 2022, with representatives of the Council of Europe (CoE) at the Office of the Law Commissioner. The delegation consisted of: Ms Sophie Kwasny, Head of the Sports Division, Julien Attuil, Head of Anti-Doping, and Michal Rynkowski, Vice-Chair of the Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention and Director of the Anti-Doping Agency of Poland. Dr. Michalis Petrou, President of the Cyprus Anti-Doping Authority, also attended the meeting via teleconference.

During the formal meeting, the parties exchanged views and discussed issues relating to international and European legislation to combat doping in sport. The meeting coincided with the assignment by the Council of Ministers to the Commissioner and Dr. Petrou of the drafting of a bill for the restructuring of the Cyprus Anti-Doping Authority.

The Law Commissioner was informed about the actions and the important role of the CoE in the promotion of good sportsmanship and in particular the developments regarding the doping phenomenon for which specific proposals were made. She was further informed of relevant legislation adopted by other states on the subject of anti-doping authorities from which guidance may be drawn when drafting the Cypriot bill. The Commissioner presented her ideas for the new legislation which will strengthen the existing Anti-Doping Authority and will contribute to the fight against this negative aspect in the field of sports. She stressed the importance of a healthy sports environment and set high goals, emphasizing the ability of athletes to compete on equal terms: "prohibited substances with the intention of improving athletic performance have no place in sports".

The parties stressed their willingness to continue communicating and cooperating with each other in the framework of exchange of views, material and know-how in order to achieve the best possible result for the new Anti-Doping Authority legislation.

(MV/IK)