Sports whistleblower platform (GR0076)

WHICH PUBLIC ISSUE DOES THE COMMITMENT ADDRESS? Many forms of corruption and deception, doping and physical / sexual abuse of adults and minors, bullying, fan violence, financial crime, matchfixing, abuse of power, bullying and other unfair practices seem to be endemic in sports. The issue of irregularities in sport is a "hidden" problem and therefore it is difficult to "measure" the current situation and quantify the effects.

WHICH IS THE PROPOSED COMMITMENT? Development of a secure platform for confidential and anonymous reports of incidents of irregularities in sports. Promoting a culture of integrity in sports through innovative applications and integrating them within the reporting platform.

OGP Principles: Public Participation, Accountability, Technology and Innovation

Target: 39 • Protection of those who detect and report irregularities, • Switch from camouflage culture to transparency culture • Awareness and resilience of athletes and citizens • Awareness raising of the society through dissemination actions •Reduction of financial losses • Reduce the use of anabolic steroids

Key milestones - Schedule Phase 1) Review of the institutional framework, promotion of international best practices and consultation with partners and stakeholders. First Semester 2021. Phase 2) Implementation of a unified whistleblowing platform Second Semester 2021. Phase 3) Pilot operation of the platform and regulatory compliance with National , European legislation and regulatory framework. First Semester 2022.

Commitment A1. Creation of a whistleblowing platform for integrity in sports

● Verifiable: Yes

● Relevant: Yes, civic participation, accountability

● Potential impact: Major

● Completion: Completed

● Did it open government? Major

Commitment A1: Create a whistleblowing platform to promote integrity in sports—

Ministry of Culture and Sports, General Secretariat of Sports

Context and Objectives:

The commitment was introduced in the amended action plan with the objectives of creating an online platform to report corruption and irregularities in the field of sports and promoting a culture of integrity in sports. [49] According to the director of the Secretary General of Sport Private Office, the commitment relates to an obligation derived from the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (the Macolin Convention) [50] that Greece ratified in 2019, which requires it to adopt measures to address manipulation of sport competitions. [51] The commitment is one of the few in the action plan that focuses on civic participation and public accountability.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports, and the General Secretariat of Sport in particular, as the responsible entity, identified the different forms of corruption that persist in sports, such as match-fixing, doping, abuse of power, physical and sexual abuse, bullying, fan violence, intimidation, financial crime, and other unfair practices as endemic practices that need to be addressed. Greece’s domestic football league has experienced multiple corruption scandals since the 1990s. Examples of recent scandals include the 2011 Koriopolis investigation of match-fixing and the criminal investigation into allegations of blackmail and fraud by the owner of Greek champions Olympiakos in 2015. The Union of European Football Associations has attempted to address these issues in Greece since 2016, although without success. [52] Transparency International Greece also has a project that seeks to tackle corruption in Greek football. [53]

Did It Open Government? Major

According to the OpenGovMonitor website, the three milestones of the commitment were completed. [54] However, there is no evidence of the review of relevant institutional frameworks and international best practices in consultation with partners and stakeholders (milestone 1) [55] nor of piloting and regulatory compliance with national and European legislation and regulatory framework (milestone 3). Nevertheless, the most significant milestone (milestone 2) was successfully completed: In January 2021, the General Secretariat of Sport launched a whistleblowing platform called the National Platform for Sport Integrity (EPATHLA), which is available at https://www.epathla.gov.gr. [56]

According to a report by the secretary general on 2 October 2022, between January 2021 and June 2022 EPATHLA handled 69 reports and forwarded 22 for further investigation. [57] The majority of reports in 2022 related to football, but there were also reports in relation to basketball, volleyball, karate, rowing, and cycling, with 16 reports in total forwarded for further investigation. [58] IRM has not been able to compare this number with the preexisting situation as the General Secretariat had not established a baseline. A representative from the Ministry reported that at least one of the reports has resulted in a disciplinary sanction. [59]

The website contains information about the structure and governance of the platform, legal information and guidance on whistleblowing in sports, educational and promotional materials, updates, and news, as well as a link to an anonymous form for reporting. [60] The news section contains published press releases demonstrating that the members of the EPATHLA Education and Awareness working group have engaged with potential users of the platform. [61] It has undertaken awareness-raising activities, such as disseminating educational material (leaflets, presentations) and visits to sports clubs, and is preparing an e-learning tool, according to a Ministry representative. [62] However, an academic pointed to the lack of public-facing information on the reports filed and their handling and investigation results, as no such data seem to be available on the public website. [63]

Although members of civil society were not involved directly in the design of the platform, non-governmental stakeholders, such as associations of athletes, coaches, and referees as well as sports universities and betting operators, can get involved in the working groups established by the platform and thus take part in the discussions alongside official bodies. [64] Furthermore, the Ministry’s representative noted that the platform protects whistleblowers and corresponds to the demands of specialized civil society organizations as it “fulfills the standards from GlobaLeaks [65] platforms.” [66]

In sum, the implementation of this commitment has produced major early results in terms of accountability in the area of whistleblower protection in sports. Establishing a whistleblowing platform for sports for the first time in the country, which has received multiple whistleblowing reports across different sports—with some taken forward and, in one case, reportedly leading to disciplinary action—shows early promise. A civil society representative mentioned that this demonstrates strong political will, especially considering the fact that the platform was up and running before the transposition of the EU whistleblowing directive. [67]

Looking Ahead:

The General Secretariat of Sport could enhance longer-term outcomes of the EPATHLA whistleblowing platform in sports and be an example for other sectors by:

● following-up on whistleblowing reports in sports, and therefore demonstrating in a practical sense that these reports are taken seriously and that whistleblowers are protected

● improving transparency and providing regular information on the number and types of reports received and how they were acted upon

● publishing the decisions and analysis of the working groups

● systematically cooperating with sports associations and other external stakeholders to raise awareness about the whistleblowing platform

More broadly, Greece could use lessons learned from the implementation of this commitment when implementing the EU Whistleblower Directive, having now passed Law 4990/2022 in November 2022.