Only 10 more days to the men’s European Football Championship: Security has top priority
press release
04 June 2024
Interior ministers on the status of preparations / Looking forward to the “Home Match for Europe”
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, who is also responsible for sport, and North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul in Berlin today spoke about the status of federal and state government preparations for the European Football Championship UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany. Ten days before the opening match, the preparations are focused on security for the tournament along with sustainability, mobility and public involvement.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said:
“We are very excited about hosting the European Football Championship here in Germany. This tournament is a great opportunity for bringing people together – especially in view of the current threats from Russian aggression abroad and extremism at home. We want to show that sport stands for respect and a sense of community. This message will be underscored by the more than 16,000 volunteers.
“The security of the European Football Championship in Germany is our top priority. Our security authorities are doing their utmost to protect the tournament against all possible threats. We are focusing on everything from Islamist terrorism to hooligans and other violent offenders, to cyber attacks and other threats. During the tournament, the Federal Police will be conducting checks at all of Germany’s borders and will protect our airports and rail transport. We are highly vigilant and well prepared.”
Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia, said:
:”We are all looking forward to the European Football Championship – to cheering for our favourite teams and celebrating together. But a sporting event on this scale is not only a celebration of football. It is also a security challenge. The federal and state security authorities are doing everything in their power to make sure that everyone – fans, players, coaches, referees, child mascots and journalists – can enjoy a safe and fun tournament.
More information about security:
- The federal and state-level security authorities, together with EURO 2024 GmbH as organiser, the stadium operators and the host cities, are responsible for ensuring that the tournament is run safely and smoothly. Ensuring the security of fans, the national teams, people in Germany and international guests has the highest priority.
- The federal and state security authorities began preparing their security strategies as soon as Germany was chosen to host the tournament. The security situation with regard to the tournament is continually monitored and assessed.
- Major international events like UEFA EURO 2024 are accompanied by numerous potential threats. These include general crime such as pick-pocketing, as well as violent crime, cyber attacks, disinformation and extremist and terrorist threats. In addition to identifying the various types of crime, it is also important to know which technologies can be used to carry them out (e.g. drones). For this reason, the security authorities at federal and state level are focusing on a wide range of areas, continually updating their threat assessments and taking action accordingly.
- A National Security Strategy outlines the security measures taken by the government and the tournament organisers before and during the tournament. In addition, the security authorities are working closely with Germany’s neighbouring countries, with the countries participating in the tournament, and with possible transit countries. During the tournament, some 580 police officers from other countries will also be working in Germany, within the International Police Cooperation Center (see below), in joint patrols in the host cities, and with the Federal Police in its area of responsibility, in particular railway policing. In addition, border control will be temporarily reintroduced at all of Germany’s borders during the tournament, in particular to detect violent offenders and keep them from entering the country.
- The International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC) in Neuss (North Rhine-Westphalia) serves as the heart of the national and international security efforts. At the IPCC, federal, state and international liaisons ensure that information is shared. They will also coordinate the deployment of police officers from all over Europe and evaluate security-related information relevant for the tournament.
- As early as 2019, Germany’s standing conference of federal and state interior ministers established a national project group on the 2024 European Football Championship, led by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This project group deals with international cooperation, police information-sharing for the tournament (national situation report) and crime-fighting. It also organises and coordinates ongoing communication among the police forces in the host cities.
- In addition to the police, thousands of rescue and emergency workers will also be on hand. They are preparing for a variety of scenarios, such as heat waves, torrential rains and other weather events, as well as for joint operations in case of all conceivable large-scale emergencies. At the federal level, both the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) are reliable partners for police and non-police emergency response during EURO 2024.
More information about sustainability, mobility and public involvement:
- In signing a joint understanding for a sustainable UEFA EURO 2024, the organisers, hosts and host cities have agreed for the first time on a joint, comprehensive and sustainable approach to organising and hosting this major sporting event. For the first time, UEFA has set up a climate fund, underscoring its commitment to sustainability. The fund represents a new form of climate responsibility and directly benefits the sports infrastructure in Germany.
- Another component is the provision of reliable and sustainable mobility services to make climate-friendly travel more attractive.
- In addition, the Federal Government has launched a sustainability programme with more than 60 environmental, social and cultural measures from all the federal ministries. The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media has put together an extensive cultural programme intended to bring fans from Germany and Europe together outside of the stadiums as well. ropa auch außerhalb der Stadien zusammen.
- Many other projects promote participation and social cohesion too, such as the programme to promote the long-term civic engagement of the more than 16,000 volunteers which was initiated jointly with the Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (foundation for civic engagement and volunteering). In addition, there will be a comprehensive fan support programme with services to promote intercultural understanding and reduce prejudices.
For more information (in German):
Originally published at https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/EN/2024/06/10tage-uefa-euro-2024.html;jsessionid=7E926B3D71E47D06A6C84E3057A77E66.live872
