Clean sport
Doping is not playing the game
Adopted in 1989, the Anti-Doping Convention is currently the only international legal instrument in its field.
Drawn up following the 1988 Olympic Games, the Council of Europe convention signals the determination of European states to combat doping. Its aims are to reduce access to doping agents, to help finance controls, and to link public financing of competitive and recreational sporting activities in compliance with anti-doping regulations. The Convention also focuses on supporting educational programmes and implementing controls. The appendix to the convention lists products and techniques which could be considered as doping products.
An additional protocol, in force since 1 April 2004, introduced a ''mutual recognition'' of controls, enabling enforcement authorities of one signatory state to operate without prior warning in another country. It facilitates cooperation between individual countries and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
A monitoring group to ensure that countries comply with their undertakings, as well as to monitor trends in doping, was also implemented.
The Convention is an ''open'' convention, which means it can be adopted by countries which are not members of the Council of Europe as well as countries outside Europe. It consists of 50 member states including Australia, Belarus, Canada and Tunisia.