Issue of financing Baku 2015 participating countries clarified

The issue of support grants, similar to those featured at the Olympic and Olympic Winter Games – and those of other global events of this scale – formed an important part of the negotiations to stage the inaugural European Games. Indeed the requirement was part of host city contract and the obligation placed on the Baku 2015 Organising Committee by EOC.

The grants, calculated on the basis of the number of participating athletes and accompanying officials, is equally applicable to all 50 competing European National Olympic Committees.

In addition after the European Games, the EOC as the governing body will distribute a fund of €2.5m from the Games’ revenues across all the European NOCs and the European Federations of all participating sports, in the same way as the IOC following an Olympic Games.

Athletes are at the heart of any great sports event and it is only right and fitting that the bodies that are responsible for funding the athletes participation are suitably compensated for doing so.