Cooperation defines UEFA Safety and Security Conference 2024

UEFA's 2024 Safety and Security Conference was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, last month with cooperation and adaptation among the key themes.

The conference brought together the diverse network of organisations working to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved in European football: national police, the National Football Information Point (NFIP) Network, national associations, club representatives, UEFA's sister football confederations, the European Club Association, Football Supporters Europe, corporate social responsibility partner AccessibAll and – for the first time – club supporter liaison officers.

The yearly gathering is organised by UEFA's safety and security unit as part of our strategy to develop and promote safety, security and service. For the participants it provides a valuable opportunity to talk face-to-face, share best practices and strengthen relationships with colleagues. "To have the clubs sitting around the table exchanging information is vitally important," said Stephen Furnham, head of the safety and security unit.

The conference brought together hundreds of people in LausanneUEFA

Collaboration underpins success

The work of the UEFA EURO 2024 International Police Cooperation Centre, located in Neuss, Germany, provided a powerful example of the benefits of strong partnerships. Having German police and intelligence services, UEFA and all NFIP Network experts under one roof proved highly effective, and was a direct result of the cooperation agreement signed in Rome at last year's conference.

The discussion also explored strategies to maximise fan participation and engagement in UEFA matches, while ensuring safety and security are not compromised. Adrian Dinca, chair of the European Group of Policing Football and NFIP Experts, stressed how constant communication between UEFA, local municipalities and police forces helps limit the use of collective away travel bans and ensure they are imposed only as a last resort.

When it comes to preparing for and staging UEFA competition finals, close cooperation with local organising committees, host cities and host countries is key. Ultimately, the panel stressed above all the value of risk assessments, of trusting in intelligence and reports and of keeping supporters informed in real time.

A panel discussion during the conferenceUEFA

Adapting to a new format and new risks

Responding to changing contexts is vital to effective safety and security operations. For one, UEFA recognises that the new men's club competition format introduced for the 2024/25 season – involving more clubs and more matches than previously – places additional demands on all participants.

With that in mind, the importance of adopting a consistent safety and security model across Europe was highlighted, with one aim of the conference being to welcome new clubs and encourage them to reach out to the NFIP Network, UEFA and more experienced clubs in their countries.

The conference also addressed how UEFA's high-profile matches – played out to a global audience – may be affected by volatile geopolitical landscapes and are increasingly being used as platforms for activism.

Finally, it was underlined that safety and security extend beyond matches themselves. Addressing the negative trend of online hate crime, Filippo Veglio, UEFA's head of social and environmental sustainability, provided insights into how UEFA is working with social media companies to curb online abuse as part of a Europe-wide effort. During EURO 2024, for example, UEFA successfully implemented a dedicated online abuse monitoring programme in collaboration with Meta, TikTok and X.