European Rowing
EUROPEAN ROWING BOARD STATEMENT ON ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE AT EUROPEAN ROWING EVENTS
Statement for European Rowing Member Federations regarding AINs:
At a meeting of the European Rowing Board on 16 February 2024, the Board reviewed the Neutrality Criteria and application processes set by the World Rowing Executive Committee for the inclusion of athletes with Russian and Belarussian passports for the 2024 season at World Rowing events and the Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regattas.
As in 2023, the ERB agreed to align its Neutrality Criteria and processes with World Rowing. This decision will allow a limited number of athletes to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) in specific boat classes at the 2024 European Rowing events, including U19, U23, and Coastal as well as the Senior championships.
Specifically,
1. AINs must not be a member of the army, armed forces, military entity, security agency or member of a club affiliated to any of one of these entities.
2. Must not and have not been involved as a participant in the Armed Conflict with Ukraine.
3. Have not compromised and do not compromise the peace mission of the Olympic Movement by actively supporting the Armed Conflict with Ukraine in any way.
4. Respect the WADA Code and the fight against doping. To comply to any out-of-competition and in-competition testing imposed by World Rowing and ITA (International Testing Agency). Never been sanctioned for a violation of the World Anti-Doping Code.
5. Respect strict neutrality commitment. Not wear any national flag colours or symbols, not display any national flag, colours or symbols. Not play or sign the national anthem or express in any way reference to RUS or BLR. Not to publicly comment on the armed conflict. Not to encourage others to breach their neutrality commitment. Not to seek promotion or propaganda for political purpose.
6. Respect the Olympic Charter.
7. To abide by the World Rowing Statutes, Rules of Racing and Event Regulation and any departures set out by European Rowing in its Rules.
8. Must sign the World Rowing Commitment Form for Participation as AIN at 2024 World Rowing Championship events.
9. Must undergo a background check, as determined by World Rowing.
For clarity, the boats classes open to AINs are:
2024 European Rowing Under 19 Championships (Kruszwica, Poland)
– all events except 8+ and 4+.
2024 European Rowing Under 23 Championships (Edirne, Turkiye)
– 1x and 2- events only including lightweight.
2024 European Rowing Championships (Szeged, Hungary)
– 1x and 2- events only including lightweight and Para singles.
2024 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships (Gdańsk, Poland):
– Coastal Championships: solos only
– Beach Sprint Championships, U19: solos and doubles
– Beach Sprint Championships, Seniors: solos only.
The Neutrality Criteria for support personnel, and para-athlete classification protocols will also mirror the criteria set by World Rowing for 2024, as will requirements for uniforms, blades, flags, medals, and anthems at European Rowing events. No athlete will be classed as an AIN if they have ever been found guilty of an anti-doping violation. Please refer to World Rowing document for further details of these requirements, processes, and deadlines for applications.
ERB, 26 February 2024
What is European Rowing?
The European Rowing Confederation (referred to as European Rowing) is the organisation that represents the 46 European national rowing federations, including Israel, and is recognised by World Rowing as the Continental Confederation for Europe. It is governed by the European Rowing Board and based at the World Rowing Offices in Lausanne. European Rowing convenes a General Assembly each year at the European Championships, an annual gathering of European national federation Presidents and interim meetings as required.
European Rowing Board
The European Rowing Board (ERB) is made up of seven members, four of whom are nominated by the national federations and elected at the General Assembly and three nominated by the World Rowing Council and ratified by the General Assembly. Its duties are set out in the ERC Statutes and include monitoring and managing the staging of the European Rowing Championships, the European Rowing Junior, U23, Indoor and Championships and other European Rowing events. It also supports the development and promotion of rowing across the European continent and between European national federations, and works closely with World Rowing on dates of competitions to ensure a coherent calendar of events for the sport.
European Rowing Events
The European Rowing Championships were staged almost annually from 1893 to 1973 after which they evolved into the World Rowing Championships. A European Championships event was reintroduced into the international rowing calendar in 2007. In 2013, the championships were moved to an early season spot and thus have become an integral event for many teams. In 2008, the European Rowing Junior Championships were introduced. In 2015 nearly 500 athletes from 31 nations participated. The European Indoor Rowing Championships has now been established in cooperation with Concept2 and the potential is already evident. The European Rowing Under 23 Championships were introduced in 2017 with the first event taking place in Kruszwica, Poland which saw participation from 401 athletes from 30 countries. European Rowing was part of the inaugural European Sports Championships, Glasgow, Great Britain, in 2018. The ERB remains active in the European sports scene to help promote rowing in all of its forms within Europe.
Click here to access the upcoming and past European Rowing Events.
Who does what in European Rowing?
President
Annamarie PHELPS
Great Britain
Annamarie joined the ERMB in May 2017. She is Vice Chair of the British Olympic Association and co-Chair of the Global Executive of the IWG on Women and Sport 2022-2026.
In 2021 Annamarie was elected to the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees and appointed as Chair the EOC Gender Equality Commission. She is an Associate Consultant to Safe Sport International, a member of the IOC Olympic Education Commission and the IPC Legal and Ethics Committee. She is a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta; a Board Director of Head of the Charles Regatta, USA, and Chair of Cambridge University Boat Club. Annamarie was Chair of the British Horseracing Authority 2019-2022 and British Rowing 2013-2018 and was previously Vice Chair of Paralympics GB.
Annamarie learnt to row at university and competed at World Championships in LW4- and W8+, winning gold in 1993 and silver in 1991, 1992 and 1994. She represented Great Britain in W8+ at the Atlanta Olympic Games, 1996.
Members
Patrick ROMBAUT
Belgium
Vice-President
Patrick has served on the ERMB as a FISA Council representative since 2006. He started competitive rowing in 1970, was member of the Belgian national team between 1973-1978 and 25-times national champion. He has served the Belgian Rowing Federation for over two decades as Treasurer, Vice-president and as President (1989-1993 and 1997-2001).
Patrick (co)-chaired the OC’s of all World and European Rowing events organised In Hazewinkel between 1995-2015 and is regatta director of the annual Ghent International May-regatta. Patrick served as President of the Coupe de la Jeunesse 1989-2001 and auditor of the Match des Seniors/The Nations Cup, 1992- 2004. He was awarded the title of Honorary President of the Belgian Rowing Federation and the Coupe de la Jeunesse.
In 1988 he became FISA International Umpire and joined FISA’s Umpiring Commission in 1991, taking on the role of Chair in 2001. Patrick was elected to the FISA Executive Committee in 2014.
Eva SZANTO
Hungary
Secretary
Dusan MACHACEK
Czech Republic
Dušan joined the European Rowing Board in January 2019. He was elected as President of the Czech Rowing Federation in 2014, after 13 years as Vice President. A member of the Czech national team, 1984-1992, Dušan won silver (M4+, 1989) and bronze (M2+, 1991) medals at senior World Rowing Championships alongside a number of national titles.
After studying Economics and Healthcare Dušan has built a career in the pharmaceutical industry. He serves as Medical Commission Secretary to the Czech Olympic Committee, alongside his commitment to the development and promotion of Czech Rowing. He has led the organising committees of three major European and World Rowing events as well as acting as Vice President of both a World and European Canoe Championships (2015-2018) at Račice, where he chairs the Board of the National Olympic Centre of Water Sports. Dušan was appointed European Continental Representative for World Rowing in 2022 and is a Member of the World Rowing Council.
Dušan is currently Vice President of VK Blest Rowing Club 1879 and supported the FISA Tokyo 2020 Qualifications Working Group. He enjoys running, masters, coastal and indoor rowing, cross country skiing and cycling.
Asuncion LORIENTE
Spain
Asunción Loriente is the President of the Spanish Rowing Federation since 2018, being the only woman who chairs a Spanish Olympic Federation and one of the two that holds this position in a national sports federation. She started rowing at Club de Mar de Castropol in 1981. Before being elected president of the national federation, she was member of different commissions, as the ones concerning women and rowing or referees. In addition, she has been international rowing referee since 2004. Also, due to her federative work, Loriente is member of the executive committee of the Spanish Sports Council and the European Rowing Board. She has recently been appointed president of the Integration and Cooperation Commission of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE).
Neville TANZER
Switzerland
Neville was elected to the ERB in August 2022 and formally joined the board on 1 January 2023. He is currently President of the Swiss Rowing Federation.
In 2012, Neville was elected to the Vice-Presidency of the Swiss Rowing Federation for an 8-year term and in 2020 was elected as President for a 4-year term. As Vice-President of Swiss Rowing, he was the official delegate to the Coupe de la Jeunesse as well as responsible for all matters related to ethics within the Swiss federation. From 2007 until 2019, he was President of the Forward Rowing Club Morges on the shores of Lake Geneva.
Neville started rowing at the age of 10 in Switzerland and went on to compete at university level in the UK. For over 40 years, he has been rowing on and off in the Masters’ category on Lake Zürich and Lake Geneva.
Algirdas RASLANAS
Lithuania
Algirdas has served on the ERB since 2006. He has been a commission member at World Rowing since 1997, serving on the Equipment and Materials Commission for six years before joining the Youth Commission and World Rowing Council in 2003.
Following a long career in physical education and educational science, including a number of senior government-appointed roles in national sport, Algirdas was appointed Professor at Vytautas Magnus University, Vilnius, and now chairs the Board of the Education Academy. He has previously been head of Bicycle and Shooting Sports, a lecturer at Rowing, Sailing and Tourism and Dean of the General Faculty of the Lithuanian National Institute of Physical Education as well as a number of senior roles at Vytautas Magnus University.
Algirdas was a member of the Lithuanian Rowing Team 1978-1979 and a Master of Sports of the USSR, 1978. He was an Executive Committee Member at the Lithuanian Rowing Federation 1988-2002 and Chef de Mission for Lithuania for four Olympic Games: Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London.
Governance Documents
ERC Strategic Objectives 2020-2024
European Rowing Umpiring Commission_Terms of Reference
Rules and Events Regulations
European Rowing Rules – departures from World Rowing Rules of Racing (as adopted on 6.11.21)
European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships Rules of Racing (adopted 6.11.21)
2024 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- 2024 ERC General Assembly Provisional Agenda at 14.02.2024
- 2024 ERC General Assembly Agenda at 02.04.2024
- 2024-ER-GA-ERB-Nomination-Form
- 2024 ERC General Assembly Agenda at 27.03.2024
- Item 5 – ERC Annual Report 2023
- Item 9_2024 ERB Nomination_ESP_Asuncion Loriente
- Item 9_2024 ERB Nomination_TUR_Erhan Erturk
- Item 10 – 2024 European Rowing Rules, Regulations & Bye-laws (adopted 2018-2021-2023 – proposal 2024) – clean
- Item 10 – 2024 European Rowing Rules, Regulations & Bye-laws (adopted 2018-2021-2023 – proposal 2024) – tracked changes
- Item 11 – European Rowing Strategic Priorities 2025-2028
2023 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- 2023 ERC General Assembly Agenda at 25.04.2023
- 2023 ER GA ERB Nomination Form
- Item 4_Minutes of the 2022 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- Item 4_Minutes of the 2022 European Rowing Extraordinary General Assembly
- Item 5_ERC Annual Report 2022
- Item 8_2023 ERB Nomination_HUN_Eva Szanto
- Item 9_Amendments to Rule 25_ER GA Bled May 2023
- Item 9_Amendments to ER Indoor Rowing Rules
- Item 10_Outcomes_European Rowing_Presidents meeting_2023
2022 European Rowing Confederation Extraordinary General Assembly
- Agenda item 5 ERC EGA 240922
- ERC Constitution PROPOSED 240922
- ERC Extraordinary GA_Agenda at 24.08.2022
2022 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- ERC General Assembly Agenda at 13.07.2022
- ERC GA 2021_Minutes_F
- ER Annual Report 2021
- 2022 ERB Nomination_GRE_Ioannis Vrampas
- 2022 ERB Nomination_SUI_Neville Tanzer
- Item 8. Proposed Rule Change GA2022
2021 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- Item 10a Proposed 2021 European Rowing Championships Rules and event Regulations at 27.10.21
- Item10b Proposed 2021 European Rowing Indoor Championships Rules and Event Regulations 27.10.21
- Item10c Proposed 2021 European Rowing Coastal Championships Rules and Event Regulations 27.10.21
- 2021 ERB and Chair Nominations
- 2021 European NRFs Gen Assembly Agenda
- 2020 European NRFs Gen Assembly Minutes
- 2020 Annual Report ERC
2020 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- 2020 European NRFs Gen Assembly DRAFT Agenda 10.09.20
- ERB 2019 Annual Report Final
DRAFT MINUTES 2019 ERC Extraordinary - General Assembly Ottensheim 10.09.20
- DRAFT MINUTES 2019 European NRFs General Assembly 10.09.20
2019 European Rowing Confederation General Assembly
- 2019 European NRFs General Assembly Agenda 01.05.19
- ERB 2018 Annual Report
- Draft Minutes 2018 European NRFs Ext Gen Assembly Berlin
- DRAFT Minutes 2018 European NRFs General Assembly
- ERC Resolution to agree transitional arrangements 22.11.18
- Eva Szanto – ERB Nomination Form 2019
- Ryszard Stadniuk – ERB Nomination Form 2019
- European Championships Statistics 01 May 19
- European Rowing Championships Rules of Racing and Event Regulations F 22.11.18
2018 European Rowing Extraordinary General Assembly
- ERC Draft Resolution to agree transitional arrangements – 14.11.18
- European Ext GA Calling Notice 2018 Berlin – Updated 05.09.18
- 2018 European NRFs Ext Gen Assembly Provisional Agenda DRAFT – Updated 5.09.18
- Draft European Rowing Confederation Constitution – 5.09.18 for comments
- Proposed European Rowing Championships Rules of Racing and Event Regulations – DRAFT at 05.09.18
2018 European General Assembly
- 2018 European NRFs General Assembly Agenda – as of 09.07.18
- Luciano Magistri – Nomination Form 2018
- Nebojsa Jevremovich – Nomination Form 2018
- DRAFT Minutes May 2017 European NRFs General Assembly – Updated 4.06.18
- 2017 ERMB Annual Report DARFT – Updated 4 June 2018
2017 Extraordinary General Assembly
- 2017 ERMB Extraordinary General assembly Attendance Form London
- 2017 European NRFs Ext Gen Assembly Agenda London 07.11.17
- Calling Notice London
- European Statutes PROPOSED CHANGES at 07.11.17
- Proposed AUT 2017 European EGA
- Proposed NED 2017 European EGA
- Proposals GBR 2017 European EGA
- Proposals ROU 2017 European EGA
2017 European General Assembly
- 2017 European NRFs General Assembly Agenda
- ERMB 2016 Annual Report
- ERMB Application Form Annamarie Phelps GBR 2017
- ERMB Application Rolf Warnke GER 2017
2016 European General Assembly
- Attendance Form for 2016 European General Assembly
- 2016 European General Assembly
- Delegates Sign-in Sheet Brandenburg 2016
- Minutes May 2016 European NRFs General assembly
2015 European General Assembly
- DRAFT Minutes May 2015 European NRFS General Assembly
- 2015 European General Assembly AGENDA 200215
- ERMB Nomination – Eva Szanto
- Voting Results 040515
2014 European General Assembly
Archive
2020 European Rowing Presidents Meeting Agenda
2019 European Rowing Events – Overall Bulletin
European Rowing Confederation Constitution – Approved 22.11.18
ERC Presidents Meeting – March 2019
European NF Presidents Meeting – March 2019
European NF Meeting – Linz WRC II June 2018
ERC Resolution to agree transitional arrangements – 22 Nov 2018