Polish preparations for EURO 2012

A preliminary report on the Polish preparation process to the 2012 European Football Championship was discussed at a meeting of the Committee for Safety and Security at EURO 2012. Also international experts on security at mass sport events, who visited Poland on many occasions, presented their conclusions.

Experts from the Expert Advisory Team for Safety and Security at EURO 2012 discussed, among other things, security at stadiums and official fan zones with representatives of Polish ministries and services. The Team includes experts who were responsible for security at the Championship in previous years, i.e. Günther Marek from the Federal Ministry of Interior in Austria (EURO 2008), David Bohannan from the UK, leader of a Pan-European Think Tank in the Council of the European Union, and Jo Vanhecke from the Federal Ministry of Interior in Belgium (EURO 2000).

Before the preliminary report was drafted the experts had evaluated the preparation progress in host cities. In September they visited Warsaw and Gdańsk, in October Wrocław and Poznań. During their visits in Poland, the international experts analyzed, among other things, the operation strategy of the policy in host cities, trainings of officers and stewards, who play the role of information service on behalf of the organizers. The experts put a strong emphasis on integrated management, cooperation among institutions and services involved, as well as creation of friendly and hospitable atmosphere around the sports festivities.

The Committee for the Safety and Security at EURO 2012 was set up by the Prime Minister. Its main task is to coordinate actions taken by all institutions and services involved in safety and security operations during the 2012 European Football Championship. The Chairman of the Committee is Adam Rapacki, Undersecretary of State at the MIA, who reports to the Prime Minister on the preparation process on a regular basis. Each meeting of the Committee is attended by representatives of many ministries, such as Sports and Tourism, Justice, Finance, Infrastructure, National Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Health, as well as the Government Security Centre, Attorney General’s Office, Police, Border Guard, State Fire Service, Internal Security Agency, and representatives of host cities.
The Committee designed an integrated concept of safety and security at the championships specifying 15 areas of operation, from international cooperation, through cooperation of the judiciaries, anti-terrorist security to preparation of spectators and society for the event.

The meeting of the Committee for Safety and Security of EURO 2012 took place on 16 December 2010 at the office of EURO2012 Polska in Warsaw.

Safety and security at EURO 2012

During a meeting with the Ukrainian Minister of Justice, Alexander Lavrynovych, Adam Rapacki, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, discussed the work of the Committee for Safety and Security at EURO 2012 which includes actions taken by all state services, football associations representatives and companies established to organize the championships.

The topics of the discussion included bilateral cooperation and preparation of safety and security measures for EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.
As Minister Rapacki, who chairs the Committee, said the Committee works in close cooperation with Ukraine, in particular the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior, Ukrainian militia and special services, as well as Ministry of Emergency Situations. A special working group has been set up to coordinate the cooperation between Poland and Ukraine, with focus on three areas: police, border and rescue cooperation.

The Committee designed an integrated concept of safety and security at the championships specifying 15 areas of operation, from international cooperation, through cooperation of the judiciaries, anti-terrorist security to preparation of spectators and society for the event. The integrated security concept includes more than 100 projects implemented by Poland, which aim to create a friendly public area for football fans, fan zones, provide security measures at football matches and develop international cooperation.

Committee for Safety and Security at UEFA 2012 European football championship was established by the Prime Minister in May 2010. Its main task is to coordinate actions taken by all institutions and services involved in safety and security operations during the Championship. The Head of the Committee reports to the Prime Minister on the progress of the preparations on a regular basis.

- We were very happy to find out that Ukraine ratified the data protection convention, said Minister Adam Rapacki. He pointed out that this was the last legal obstacle to the exchange of information on the participants to the Championship. – Today we are able to exchange such data with our Ukrainian partners and use them to provide security to the tournament, underlined the Minister.

Adam Rapacki was also happy to hear that the work on the simplification of deportation procedures for rioters at championship matches in Ukraine has started. – We have already completed our procedures in this respect, so there should be no problems, he added. Minister mentioned that the whole preparation process for EURO 2012 is based on the motto “have fun, feel safe”. We want the Championship to be a festival of joy, with interventions of services and police and law enforcement agencies limited to the minimum necessary.

- We should make sure that both countries act according to similar standards. Quick decision-making is necessary in the case of persons whose intention is not to enjoy the sport festivities, said Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Alexander Lavrynovych.

Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski introduced the idea of the Ministry of Justice to organize the so called “on-site courts”. According to the draft reform of the Code of Criminal Proceedings, an expedited trial procedure shall take place in two places simultaneously, with its participant communicating through a videoconference. The police will not have to bring a detained hooligan to the court but place them in a special room arranged in the stadium area. The defendant will be tried by a judge on duty at the courthouse by means of an ICT connection. The aim of such a solution is to facilitate and expedite court proceedings regarding incidents at sport events.

Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski introduced the idea of the Ministry of Justice to organize the so called “on-site courts”. According to the draft reform of the Code of Criminal Proceedings, an expedited trial procedure shall take place in two places simultaneously, with its participant communicating through a videoconference. The police will not have to bring a detained hooligan to the court but place them in a special room arranged in the stadium area. The defendant will be tried by a judge on duty at the courthouse by means of an ICT connection. The aim of such a solution is to facilitate and expedite court proceedings regarding incidents at sport events.
The Head of the Ministry of Justice said: We hope that the judiciary will not be overloaded with work at that time. Still, we must be ready.

Krzysztof Kwiatkowski also reminded that a number of amendments to criminal law have been introduced on the basis of the “EURO 2012 Project for the judiciary”. Moreover, the Minister announced that new detailed solutions regarding electronic monitoring of persons subject to stadium ban will be published in the nearest future.

The participants of the meeting with the Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Alexander Lavrynovych, which took place on 11 January in Warsaw, included his Polish counterpart, Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, the Minister of Sport and Tourism, Adam Giersz, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Adam Rapacki, Head of the Polish Football Association, Grzegorz Lato, Deputy Head of the Polish Football Association, Adam Olkowicz, and the Head of PL.2012 company, Marcin Herra.

Sources: http://www.mswia.gov.pl/portal/en/1/641/Polish_preparations_for_EURO_2012.html and http://www.mswia.gov.pl/portal/en/1/642/Safety_and_security_at_EURO_2012.html