site.btaSafety and Security at Sports Events Discussed at Sofia Meeting

Safety and security at sports events were discussed at a meeting of Youth and Sports Minister Ivan Peshev with officials from the Interior Ministry, the National Assembly Committees on Internal Security and Public Order and on Youth and Ports, and the Bulgarian Football Union, the Youth and Sports Ministry reported on Friday. The meeting was initiated by Minister Peshev amid increasingly frequent aggressive and violent acts at sporting venues, which call for urgent and effective measures against hooliganism in sports.

MPs Krasen Kralev and Manoil Manev presented a Bill on Safety and Security at Sports Events, submitted to the National Assembly earlier this week. The participants in the meeting shared the view that it is about time zero tolerance was shown for hooliganism, particularly for people who breach order at sporting events.

A working group is to be set up to discuss the provisions in the bill. The Council of Europe Committee on Safety and Security at Sports Events will visit Sofia next week to offer guidance on the Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events. The guests will meet with representatives of the Interior Ministry, the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Bulgarian Football Union.