Press Release: EU and IOC pledge to continue ‘special relationship’ to promote dialogue in sport

Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner responsible for sport, and Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), met on 10 June 2013 as part of the Commission's 'structured dialogue' with the sport movement. Both stressed the benefits of their excellent cooperation and agreed on the need to continue such exchanges on an annual basis in future.

The IOC President, who was accompanied by Claudia Bokel, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and Patrick Hickey, President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), described the meeting with Commissioner Vassiliou as "extremely useful" and welcomed proposals for further concrete forms of cooperation. He said that he was confident his successor would pursue an equally close relationship with the EU and that the Commission could always count on the IOC's support.