Congress ready to meet in Tel Aviv

UEFA and its 53 member national associations gather together for European football's annual parliament at the XXXIV Ordinary UEFA Congress in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

The Ordinary UEFA Congress has become an annual event in recent years, given the increase in the amount of UEFA's activities as the umbrella body for European football. This year, while there are no elections taking place, delegates will vote on various agenda items.

Following an opening address by UEFA president Michel Platini focusing on recent, current and future UEFA activities and policies, the UEFA Congress will be asked to approve the reports of the UEFA president/Executive Committee and UEFA administration, which highlight the work undertaken in the 2008/09 period.

Approval will be sought for the annual statement of accounts and association accounts for 2008/09, the auditor's report for the 2008/09 financial year, UEFA's strategic financial outlook from 2009/10 to 2014/15, and UEFA's budget for the 2010/11 financial year.

UEFA has 19 committees which deal with issues ranging from players' status, refereeing matters, and the club and national team competitions to medical matters, club licensing and beach soccer/futsal.

The committee chairmen, who as a rule are members of the UEFA Executive Committee, will give Congress a report on their respective committees' activities over the year that has elapsed since the Copenhagen Congress in 2009. Finally, a series of amendments to the Statutes of UEFA will be put to the vote in Tel Aviv, including provisions reinforcing member associations' autonomy vis-a-vis the influence of third parties.