European Commission to study transfers
The role of agents in professional sport will come under greater scrutiny as the European Commission (EC) will start a study on player transfers next year.
Budapest: Plans for the potentially controversial research project were included in an EC strategy for sport published last month and Michal Krejza, head of the sport unit at the Commission's Education and Culture Directorate, outlined the timetable at today's EU Sport Forum in Budapest.
Tenders for the contract to carry out the transfer study will go out later this year and the EC must sign a contract with the successful bidder by the end of 2011. The research will be carried out next year and the results published by 2013.
The EC is also planning a conference on the role and regulation of agents in sport, which will be held within the next 12 months. Mr. Krejza will speak to FIFA about its involvement in the conference over the next few days.
The driver for the commissioning of the study is another recent piece of EC research into sports agents, which highlighted problems with fraud and compliance.
Androulla Vassiliou, EC commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, said:
"We will make this study so that we know the state and implications of the problem."
In Budapest, MEP Ivo Belet said that the EU had not ruled out potentially introducing legislation on sports agents but said that self-regulation was preferred.
"We will support anyone who upholds the integrity of sport," said Mr Belet.