EU: Brussels orders skating union to loosen its stranglehold on athletes

On Friday, December 8, Brussels ordered the International Skating Union (ISU) to change its rules after deciding its threat of a lifetime ban was an “extreme” restriction on speed skaters.

The EU said that threatening a lifetime ban for athletes participating in unapproved events served to protect the ISU’s “commercial interests and prevent others from setting up their own events.”

Margrethe Vestager, European Competition Commissioner said “International sports federations play an important role in athletes’ careers – they protect their health and safety and the integrity of competitions. However, the severe penalties the International Skating Union imposes on skaters also serve to protect its own commercial interests and prevent others from setting up their own events.”

Sporting bodies can limit an athlete’s participation if they have objective concerns about an outside event — for example safety, anti-doping or match-fixing. However penalties for breaking those rules need to be proportionate. The Commission found the ISU’s rules were “disproportionately punitive”, deprived athletes of “additional sources of income during their relatively short speed skating careers” and prevented “the emergence of independent international speed skating competitions.”

Full Content: Europa & Reuters

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