RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF SPORTS ASSOCIATION
(ACES: European Capital of Sport Association)
 

ACES:  RECOGNITIONS

ACES, European Capitals of Sport Association, assigns every year the recognitions of European “Capital”, “City” and “Town” of Sport. The allocation of these recognitions is done by ACES, according to the principles of responsibility and ethics, being aware that sport is a factor of aggregation of the society, improvement in the quality of life, psycho-physical well-being and complete integration within social classes in a difficult situation.

ACES works with the European Commission, and above all on the initiatives presented in the “White Paper on Sport” (action point 50), thanks to the activation of the structured relationships with the most important European people practising a sport, through the collaboration with the EU Members States et through the promotion of relations in the field of sport. The Commission itself will support the future development of the initiative related to the European Capitals of Sport, which is the subject of ACES’ activities.

The recognition assigned by ACES represent a good opportunity at the disposal of Local Administrations ( and the corresponding competent departments) to give an official recognition to the quality of their engagement in terms of sport on the competence territory. ACES’ activities will cooperate with the ECP (European Paralympic Committee).

Then, it is exposed the basic dispositions elaborated by ACES for the yearly allocation of candidacies for the title of “European Capital of Sport”, “European City of Sport” and “European Town of Sport”. These dispositions, formally welcomed by the European Commission on the whole territory, set up the times, the modalities and the engagements that every Town Administration must comply with, in order to apply for the appropriate belonging category.

ACES uses an ad hoc Commission which works to support the development of the initiative of candidacy  and allocation of titles of  European “Capital”, “City” and “Town” of Sport, and to give a larger European visibility to the sport events, based on the same founding values of the Association.


EUROPEAN CAPITALS, CITIES AND TOWNS OF SPORT

Article 1 – Premise and assessment of applications

These rules underline the procedures to take part in the allocation of titles from ACES for:

-  “European Capital of Sport”;

-  “European City of Sport”;

-  “European Town of Sport”.

ACES will evaluate each application as follows:

• GOLDEN STARS – European CAPITALS of Sport – more than 499,999 inhabitants.

3 Golden Stars: global voting ranges from 81 to 100 points

2 Golden Stars: global voting ranges from 71 to 80 points

1 Golden Star: global voting ranges from 61 to 70 points

• SILVER STARS – European CITIES of Sport – from 25,000 to 499,999 inhabitants.

3 Silver Stars: global voting ranges from 81 to 100 points

2 Silver Stars: global voting ranges from 71 to 80 points

1 Silver Star: global voting ranges from 61 to 70 points

• BRONZE STARS – European TOWNS of Sport – less than 25,000 inhabitants.

3 Bronze Stars: global voting ranges from 81 to 100 points

2 Bronze Stars: global voting ranges from 71 to 80 points

1 Bronze Star: global voting ranges from 61 to 70 points

• BLUE STARS – Excellent European sports facilities (from 2013)

3 Blue Stars: global voting ranges from 81 to 100 points

2 Blue Stars: global voting ranges from 71 to 80 points

1 Blue Star: global voting ranges from 61 to 70 points

 

Article 2 – Demographical characteristics requested

2.1 – Any Town Administration of the European Union with a population above 499,999 inhabitants at the time of the request sending, or being the Capital of one of the 27 EU Member States, can apply for the recognition of “European Capital of Sport”.

2.2 – Any Town Administration of the European Union with a population ranges from 25,000 to 499,999 inhabitants (or which has the title of “provincial administrative centre”) at the time of the request sending, can apply for the recognition of “European City of Sport”.

2.3 – Any Town Administration of the European Union with a population below 25,000 inhabitants can apply for the recognition of “European Town of Sport”.

2.4 – Every year, ACES plans the allocation of the following honours among the 27 Member States of the European Union.

Article 3 – Accreditation procedures and documents for application

3.1 – The candidate Capitals, Cities and Towns will have to send their documents at the General Presidency of ACES by 30th May, two years before the year for which they will take part (e.g. 30th May 2010 for 2012 applications), fulfilling the ad hoc application form [see Annexe A]* and with the references of the Managers of the candidate Town Administration for the necessary official communications.

* Annexe A is valid until 2011 applications

3.2 – The candidacy proposals will have to be sent with the presentation of an “Application File”, in paper format as well as multimedia document, to write and send by 15th June, two years before the year the Capitals, Cities and Towns apply for, with the analytic description of all the assessment factors included in the “Criteria” formulated by ACES itself [see Annexe B]. The incomplete “files” will automatically lead to the non- acceptation of the request.

3.3 – ACES will assign a number of weighted points for each of the 10 criteria, depending on the relevance perceived and checked of every same criterion.

3.4 – ACES will evaluate the candidacy proposals received, by giving to each proposition a number of points on the basis of the indications reported in the “Application File”, and will communicate by 30th July, the official list of Capitals, Cities and Towns applying for the title for the second consecutive year.

3.5 – Points assigned by ACES to the candidacy proposal will include the allocation of SQC Stars (Sport Quality Certificate Stars), according to the ad hoc ranking written by ACES itself [see Article 1]. The allocation of SQC will officially be done with a ceremony included in the calendar of award ceremonies organised by ACES.

3.6 – ACES will visit the Town Administrations admitted in the final stage of assessment (those who obtained more than 80 out of 100 points), in order to collect other indications, between 1st September and 30th November, two years before the year for which applications have been suggested. The visits will be done by an ad hoc Commission, chaired by the President of ACES and his delegate.

3.7 – The recognitions of European Capital, City and Town of Sport, with a maximum number of 1 for the Capitals, 9 for the Cities and 18 for the Towns, will be communicated by ACES on 30th November of each year.

 

Article 4 – Achievements for allocation

4.1 – ACES will provide the Town Administrations, willing to present a candidacy proposal, with a technical support on competence matters and on the elaboration of an “Application File”, according to the specificities necessary to the procedure of application.

4.2 – In case of access to the final stage of the process, for every candidate Town Administration which has obtained more than 80 points, it will be asked to this Administration exclusively to pay the travel expenses of the ACES’ Evaluation Commission (e.g. visit of 3 days/2 nights maximum; travels and local transfers; additional fees for taking part in the activities).

 

Article 5: Duties for the elected City

5.1 – In case of allocation of the recognition of European “Capital”, “City” and “Town” of Sport, each Town Administration must respect the following list of minor activities during the whole year of charge:

- N°1 Ceremony/Press Conference on presentation and opening of the activities, with the presence of ACES’ representatives, according to the title obtained;

- Different sport events of high importance (international, national, regional, local), to which representatives of ACES will have to take part in, with a minimum number of 36 for the Capitals, 24 for the Cities and 12 for the Towns;

- n°1 Ceremony/European event of sport and cultural value – with themes of different choices and according to the title obtained – to do at the end of activities within the year in charge, where all the representatives of all the Town Administrations which obtained recognition from ACES during the year will be invited.