The European handball community recently participated in several important meetings with the continent’s governing body, the European Handball Federation (EHF). The Secretaries General Conference was held over two days at the end of last week, before the European Handball Convention took place on Saturday, 19 September. In addition, an Executive Committee meeting was held in Vienna on Friday. 

The meetings were the first to occur in-person since federation representatives met on the final weekend of the EHF EURO 2020 in January. 

At the European Handball Convention, EHF President Michael Wiederer spoke to attendees about how this kind of information exchange is key for the continent. Wiederer also underlined the importance of the 10-year media and marketing deal with the Infront and DAZN Group that came into effect on 1 July, and how that impacts the current situation saying, “Decisions had and have to be taken. The worst-case management scenario is not to decide.”

Wiederer outlined several of the noteworthy decisions that have been made over the past six months and the processes for those. Cancellation and postponement of some competitions was necessary, financial support measures for federations were introduced, and additional financial support was put into place for the upcoming Women’s EHF EURO 2020, where the continental title will be decided in Denmark and Norway in December. All of this meant a revision of the EHF’s own budget was necessary. 

From the three days of meetings also emerged a positive message: that there is clear intention that the men’s Champions League finals from last season, the VELUX EHF FINAL4 2020, will be held in Cologne (after being rescheduled from May) and the Women’s EHF EURO 2020 will go ahead. Both events are scheduled for December, with the EURO set for 3 to 20 December and the FINAL4 to take place on 28 and 29 December. 

“We have to be present, otherwise we do not exist,” said Wiederer. To ensure these events take place, one key item on the agenda at the Executive Committee meeting was the measures in place for the EHF EURO. These include a change in player replacement regulations and an adapted venue concept, with a reduction in number of arenas to be used. 

Other items on the agenda for the Executive Committee meeting included revisions to the EHF Regulations for Anti-Doping, the awarding of the Beach Handball EURO 2021 and the YAC 19 event (Bulgaria), Beach Handball Motions and the Ordinary EHF Congress in 2021. 

Alongside the Executive Committee meeting and the European Handball Convention, the 12th Conference of Secretaries General was held. A key focus in the Secretaries General Conference was the EHF Master Plan, which was originally presented at the end of the Men’s EHF EURO 2020 in Sweden, Austria and Norway, but required updates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A ‘Back to Handball’ phase was introduced into the Plan, and the stage that originally stood as the first, ‘Growing the Sport’, became the second. While the Secretaries General were updated from an EHF point of view, they also participated in developing the goals and brainstorming initiatives for the ‘Back to Handball’ phase, which is yet to finalised as the priorities are now to be identified by the EHF. 

More information on the EHF can be found on the official website.