Courtesy: European Aquatics
European Aquatics has received the Bronze Certification for its governance following a three-year process of assessment by the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA).
This milestone achievement was officially announced at the weekend’s EA Bureau meeting in the Turkish resort of Antalya by Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, SIGA’s Global CEO.
The certification process by the SIGA Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS) was instigated in 2022, the year Antonio Silva was elected as EA President.
EA thus joins a distinguished group of organizations that have undergone independent SIRVS certification which includes the European Rugby League, Liga Portugal, Brazilian football giant São Paulo FC and the Swiss-based FIDE (International Chess Federation).
The SIRVS certification process for European Aquatics began with a comprehensive gap analysis designed to assess governance practices and identify areas for improvement under the Universal Standards on Good Governance in Sport.
Following this assessment, European Aquatics collaborated with independent auditors to implement the necessary reforms to achieve Bronze Level Certification, demonstrating its commitment to enhanced governance, transparency, and accountability.
EA President Silva commented: “Since I was first elected as President in 2022 I was determined to work hard to transform and enhance the governance capabilities of this organization, firstly by engaging in a rigorous evaluation process with SIGA as set out in their SIRVS certification process, and then doing everything in our power to address our deficiencies and make concrete improvements.
“This has been a team effort, for which I thank my Bureau colleagues, National Federation and other stakeholders since good governance and integrity in sport is something that requires team effort.
“I am very proud that our practical and ongoing efforts have placed integrity at the heart of everything we do. While we are delighted to have achieved the bronze standard of the SIRVS certification, this is just the start, and we are committed to moving a step up on the podium to achieve Silver status as soon as possible
“I would like to thank Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros and his SIGA team for all their support and for continuing to accompany us on this journey.”
The SIGA CEO added: “European Aquatics’ outstanding accomplishment underscores their unwavering commitment to improving governance and fostering accountability within the sport.
“We are proud to witness their leadership and the exemplary standard they have set for other sports organizations to follow. I have no doubt that their example has been noted by the entire sports industry and will motivate other sports organisations to embark on their own governance journeys.
“The SIRVS Bronze Certification marks the beginning of a long-term commitment to excellence and SIGA is excited to continue supporting European Aquatics in their pursuit.
“It is also rewarding to witness, once again, the importance of SIGA’s Universal Standards and the SIRVS system in driving meaningful change within global sport. We look forward to seeing what the future holds as European Aquatics and their national federations continue to push the boundaries of governance excellence.”
The latest announcement underscores the increasing recognition of SIGA’s governance standards across multiple sports.
SIGA describes itself as the world’s leading organization for sport integrity, adding: “We are creating a whole new landscape for the sports industry by delivering independent global rating and certification for world Sport to ensure it is governed and operates under the highest integrity standards: The SIGA Universal Standards.”
