Procedures for the Recognition of Sports Federations and the Control of the Recognised Sports Federations

Issued pursuant to
Section 10.¹, Paragraphs two,
three and four of the Sports Law

I. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes:

1.1. the procedures for the recognition of sports federations;

1.2. the procedures for the control of the activity in the field of sports of the recognised sports federations; and

1.3. the content of the information to be included in the Register of Sports Federations and the procedures for updating thereof.

2. A decision on behalf of the association "Sports Federation Council of Latvia" (hereinafter - Sports Federation Council of Latvia) regarding recognition of a sports federation, refusal to recognise it or a decision regarding revocation of the status of the recognised sports federation shall be taken, as well as the activity of the recognised sports federations shall be controlled by the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia.

II. Procedures for the Recognition of Sports Federations

3. So that a sports federation would be able to apply for the status of the recognised sports federation, it shall submit a submission to the Sports Federation Council of Latvia regarding recognition of the sports federation (Annex 1). A list of members of the sports federation shall be appended to the submission, in which the name, registration number, legal address and actual address of members shall be indicated.

4. If the international sports organisation of the relevant type of sports or field of activity has not been recognised by the International Olympic Committee or is not a member of the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), the sports federation shall submit the following additional information regarding the international sports organisation of the relevant type of sports or field of activity, appending translations of the documents into Latvian:

4.1. the name and address of the organisation;

4.2. a copy of the articles of association of the organisation; and

4.3. a list of members of the organisation.

5. The Sports Federation Commission (hereinafter - Commission) shall evaluate the compliance of the sports federation and the documents submitted thereby to the criteria for recognition of a sports federation specified in the Sports Law and Paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Regulation, and submit an opinion to the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia regarding recognition of the sports federation or refusal to recognise the sports federation. The opinion of the Commission shall have a recommendatory nature.

6. If the Commission, upon evaluation of the documents submitted by the sports federation, determines that not all the documents referred to in Paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Regulation have been submitted or they are incomplete, the Sports Federation Council of Latvia shall send a written request to the relevant sports federation to provide updated information. The updated information shall be submitted within 10 working days after the date of receipt of the request of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia.

7. If an international sports organisation has not been established in the relevant type of sports or field of activity or the international sports organisation has not been recognised by the International Olympic Committee, or it is not a member of the General Association of International Sports Federations, an opinion regarding the recognition of the sports federation in the relevant type of sports or field of activity shall also be provided to the Sports Federation Council of Latvia by the Latvian National Sports Council.

8. If several sports federations have submitted a submission regarding the recognition in one type of sports or field of activity, in which a sports federation has not been recognised yet, the Commission shall provide a substantiated opinion to the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia regarding the recognition of one sports federation in accordance with Paragraph 5 of this Regulation, indicating the considerations of suitability.

9. The Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia, after receipt of the opinion of the Commission, but in the case referred to in Paragraph 7 of this Regulation - also after receipt of the opinion of the Latvian National Sports Council, shall take a decision regarding recognition of the sports federation or refusal to recognise the sports federation.

10. If the sports federation is recognised, the Sports Federation Council of Latvia shall issue a Sports Federation Recognition Certificate (Annex 2) to the relevant sports federation. The certificate shall be signed by the President of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia.

11. A decision regarding refusal to recognise a sports federation shall be taken by the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia, if:

11.1. a sports federation has already been recognised in the relevant type of sports or field of activity;

11.2. the sports federation does not comply with the criteria for the recognition of a sports federation specified in the Sports Law;

11.3. the sports federation has not submitted the updated information after receipt of the request referred to in Paragraph 6 of this Regulation;

11.4. the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia has taken a decision regarding recognition of one sports federation in the case referred to in Paragraph 8 of this Regulation.

12. If the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia takes a decision regarding refusal to recognise the sports federation, a repeated submission regarding recognition of the sports federation may be submitted not sooner than after three months from the date when the decision regarding refusal to recognise the sports federation has come into effect.

13. The Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia shall establish the Commission consisting of five members and approve the by-law thereof. Two representatives of the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia and one member from each the Ministry of Education and Science, the association "Latvian Olympic Committee" and the association "Latvian Paralympic Committee" shall be included in the Commission. The chairperson of the Commission shall be the representative of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia. The Commission, upon performing the duties thereof, has the right to invite experts.

14. The Commission shall have a quorum if at least four members of the Commission participate in a Commission meeting. Minutes shall be taken at the Commission meetings.

15. The Commission shall take decisions by open vote. The decisions shall be taken by a simple majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the chairperson of the Commission shall prevail.

16. The work of the Commission, as regards technical needs, shall be ensured by the Sports Federation Council of Latvia.

III. Control of the Activity of Recognised Sports Federations in the Field of Sports

17. In order to control the activity of a recognised sports federation in the field of sports, the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia has the right to examine:

17.1. the compliance of the activity of the recognised sports federation with the criteria for the recognition of a sports federation specified in the Sports Law, as well as to other regulatory enactments in the field of sports;

17.2. the compliance of the activity of the recognised sports federation twith the statutes of the recognised sports federation;

17.3. the submissions received regarding the activity of the recognised sports federation and the decisions taken thereby.

18. If the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia, after the examination referred to in Paragraph 17 of this Regulation, determines that the recognised sports federation does not comply with any of the criteria for the recognition of a sports federation specified in the Sports Law, has not observed the regulatory enactments in the field of sports or the activities thereof do not comply with the statutes of the recognised sports federation, the relevant information shall be transferred to the Commission for evaluation and provision of an opinion.

19. If the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia, after the examination referred to in Paragraph 18 of this Regulation, determines that the recognised sports federation does not comply with any of the criteria for the recognition of a sports federation specified in the Sports Law, has not observed the regulatory enactments in the field of sports or the activities thereof do not comply with the statutes of the recognised sports federation, it shall be inform the recognised sports federation and set a term, which does not exceed six months, for elimination of the determined violation or non-compliance.

20. If the recognised sports federation, after receipt of the information referred to in Paragraph 19 of this Regulation, has not eliminated the determined violation or non-compliance within the term specified by the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia, the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia shall take a decision regarding revocation of the status of the recognised sports federation.

21. After taking of the decision referred to in Paragraphs 20 of this Regulation, the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia shall inform in writing the Ministry of Education and Science, the association "Latvian Olympic Committee" (if the sports federation represents an Olympic type of sports) and the association "Latvian Paralympic Committee" (if the sports federation represents the Paralympic field of activities), as well as such international sports organisation, in which the relevant sports federation is a member, if the relevant sports federation has been revoked the status of the recognised sports federation.

22. A repeated submission regarding recognition of the sports federation may be submitted not sooner than after a year from the day when the decision of the Board of the Sports Federation Council of Latvia regarding revocation of the status of the recognised sports federation has come into effect.

IV. Content of the Information to be Included in the Register of Recognised Sports Federations and the Procedures for Updating Thereof

23. The Sports Federation Council of Latvia shall provide and organise the activity of the Register of Recognised Sports Federations.

24. The Register of Recognised Sports Federations shall be accessible to the public on the Internet homepage (www.latsports.lv).

25. The following information shall be included in the Register of Recognised Sports Organisations:

25.1. the name of the sports federation;

25.2. legal address and actual address of the sports federation;

25.3. the type of sports or field of activity, in which the sports federation has been recognised;

25.4. the date of recognition of the sports federation and the number of the recognition certificate;

25.5. the name of the international sports federation, in which the sports federation is represented;

25.6. the electronic mail address, Internet homepage address and contact telephone number of the sports federation; and

25.7. the head of the executive body of the sports federation.

26. If a sports federation is deprived of the status of the recognised sports federation, information regarding such sports federation shall be deleted from the Register of Recognised Sports Federations.

27. If the recognised sports federation has made amendments to the statutes of the sports federation, made changes in the composition of the executive body of the sport federation, changed the composition of the members, changed the legal address or actual address, telephone number, fax number, Internet homepage address or electronic mail address, the recognised sports federation shall, within 10 working days from the date when the relevant changes were carried out, inform the Sports Federation Council of Latvia thereof by submitting documents which confirm these changes.

Acting for the Prime Minister -
Minister for Transport K. Gerhards

Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

Annex 1
Cabinet Regulation No. 1396
8 December 2009

Submission for the Recognition of a Sports Federation

Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

Annex 2
Cabinet Regulation No. 1396
8 December 2009

Minister for Education and Science T. Koķe

Translation © 2011 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)