Fourteen European countries have signed up to the Council of Europe’s Convention on integrated safety, security and service measures at sports events.
The convention was signed by representatives of Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Macedonia and Ukraine.
The signing ceremony took place at the Stade de France ahead of Sunday’s Uefa Euro 2016 quarter-final clash between the host nation and Iceland.
The convention, which aims to streamline safety measures inside and outside stadia, will attempt to improve dialogue between police, local authorities and clubs.
Under the agreement, which will come into force after it is ratified by three signatory states, hooligans will be banned from stadia and blocked from travelling abroad for matches.
“Our task is to make all games safe so fans can enjoy world-class football,” the Council of Europe’s secretary general, Thorbjorn Jagland, said.
“We have a great atmosphere for football here, but we have to stop the moments of aggression. They always remind us that even a small number of hooligans could spoil a great celebration.”
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