Helsinki welcomes UEFA Congress

Good governance reforms and elections are the key items on the agenda for the 41st Ordinary UEFA Congress, which takes place at the Fair Centre Messukeskus in Helsinki on Wednesday.

UEFA and its 55 member associations will convene in the Finnish capital for the latest gathering of Europe’s football parliament, which is held annually.

The associations will be called on to ratify a series of proposed reforms which are aimed at strengthening UEFA and increasing its transparency in the years to come, and which were endorsed by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in Nyon in February.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has expressed the conviction that the proposed reforms will strengthen UEFA in its overall mission to develop and protect European football.

If accepted by the European associations, the reforms will be laid down in the UEFA statutes.

Elections will take place in Helsinki. Twelve candidates are standing for eight four-year terms on the UEFA Executive Committee. In elections to the FIFA Council, three candidates are seeking four-year terms, and one further candidate is standing for a two-year term.

The Congress will be asked to approve the UEFA financial statements for 2015/16 and the budget for 2017/18, as well as the report of the UEFA President and the Executive Committee, and report of the UEFA administration, both for 2015/16.

Finally, ratification will be sought from the associations for the composition of the UEFA Club Financial Control Body, which oversees the application of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.