European Aquatics President António Silva reflects on the organisation’s governance journey, the role of independent assessment and the next steps towards strengthening transparency and accountability across European aquatics.
Good governance has been a strategic priority for European Aquatics since António Silva took office as President. As part of this commitment, European Aquatics has worked with the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA), beginning with an independent gap analysis and subsequently progressing through the Sport Integrity Rating and Verification System (SIRVS).
In July 2026, European Aquatics completed its second annual SIRVS review for Good Governance in Sport and again achieved Bronze-level certification. The organisation is now working towards the next level as part of its commitment to continuous improvement.
This interview addresses the governance journey, the lessons learned and why independent assessment can help sports organisations turn principles into measurable progress.
When you became President of European Aquatics, why did you make good governance an early priority?
António Silva: From the outset, I believed that European Aquatics had to match its sporting ambition with an equally strong commitment to governance, transparency and accountability. These are not peripheral matters. They are fundamental to the credibility, resilience and long-term success of any international sports organisation.
Good governance was therefore not treated as a one-off project. It became a strategic priority for the organisation.
SIGA helped us turn that priority into measurable progress. When a new President or CEO takes office, there is often no efficient and independent way to assess the governance framework they have inherited. Before you can build a legacy, you need to understand where the organisation stands and how it compares with recognised standards specifically developed for sport.
We began with an independent and confidential gap analysis against SIGA’s Bronze-level standard. It identified areas of both major and minor non-conformity with SIGA’s Universal Standards on Good Governance in Sport.
The findings were, to be honest, more challenging than I had anticipated. But they gave us something extremely valuable: an objective starting point.
We used the findings and the Corrective Action Plan proposed by the audit team as an important part of our governance reforms. We repeated the gap-analysis process several times over a two-year period and followed a structured roadmap for improvement, including holding several General Assemblies to approve important constitutional changes.
We then submitted our progress to independent assessment through the SIRVS certification system.
I am proud that, in July, European Aquatics completed its second annual SIRVS review and again achieved Bronze-level certification. We are now working towards Silver.
Why was the gap analysis an important first step?
António Silva: The gap analysis gave us a detailed and objective understanding of our governance arrangements against SIGA’s Universal Standards on Good Governance in Sport.
It showed us where we were already performing well, but also where further work was required. Most importantly, it gave us a structured roadmap, with clear priorities and practical recommendations.
It also helped us improve the efficiency of the federation and provided a reliable basis for making changes.
Once that work had been completed, progressing to SIRVS was the natural next step. We wanted the progress we had made to be independently assessed and verified.
That is how an organisation moves from aspiration to demonstrable achievement.
European Aquatics has now achieved Bronze certification for a second consecutive year. What does that mean to you?
António Silva: It demonstrates that sustained reform produces results.
Maintaining Bronze certification in our second annual SIRVS review is important external recognition of the progress European Aquatics has made. It confirms that the work undertaken has been meaningful, structured and capable of being independently evidenced.
At the same time, certification is not a finishing line. Good governance requires constant attention and continuous improvement.
The SIRVS process provides an assessment of an organisation at a particular point in time, while the annual reviews allow progress to be monitored throughout the certification cycle. We are therefore very pleased to have maintained our Bronze level, but we are already looking ahead.
Our ambition is to achieve Silver and continue strengthening the organisation for the benefit of our athletes, Member Federations, partners and the wider aquatics community.
What have SIGA’s Universal Standards and SIRVS brought to the process?
António Silva: They gave us both a framework and the discipline to translate a leadership priority into an accountable and manageable process of reform.
The Universal Standards establish clear principles, while the gap analysis and SIRVS provide a methodology to assess where an organisation stands, address identified gaps and demonstrate progress.
That combination is particularly valuable. Supporting good governance in principle is one thing; being able to demonstrate, through independent assessment, what has been achieved and where further work remains is another.
For us, the process has helped turn governance from a broad objective into a structured programme of continuous improvement.
Why is independent scrutiny important for sports organisations?
António Silva: Transparency, accountability and independent scrutiny strengthen sport. They protect institutions, support leaders who are acting in good faith and give athletes, Member Federations, partners and the public greater confidence in the organisations that represent them.
Other industries accept independent scrutiny, and I believe sport should be no different.
As the organisation responsible for aquatics in Europe, European Aquatics has a responsibility to demonstrate that it operates according to sound governance principles, including democracy, transparency and stakeholder representation.
Good governance is ultimately about building trust, and trust has to be earned through the way an organisation operates.
European Aquatics has been a member of SIGA for several years, and you are also a member of its Council. How do you see the relationship between the two organisations?
António Silva: The sequence is important.
European Aquatics was already a SIGA member before I became President, although the membership had not been particularly active. When I assumed the leadership of the organisation, I assessed what being part of SIGA could offer European Aquatics from a sport integrity perspective.
My confidence in the Universal Standards and SIRVS did not come from joining SIGA’s Council. I joined the Council because our own experience with the framework had already demonstrated its practical value.
We began with the gap analysis, worked through the recommendations and then progressed to independent assessment through SIRVS.
That experience showed me that the framework is rigorous, constructive and useful for sports organisations that genuinely want to improve.
What would you say to European Aquatics Member Federations considering a similar approach?
António Silva: I would encourage our Member Federations to consider adopting the SIGA Universal Standards and undertaking the SIRVS process.
They should not see it simply as a compliance exercise. It is an opportunity to understand their current position, strengthen their systems, build stakeholder confidence and demonstrate leadership through independently verified progress.
Our experience has been very positive. We have seen how an independent gap analysis can become a practical roadmap for reform, and how that roadmap can lead to measurable and independently recognised results.
I believe our Member Federations can benefit significantly from following the same path.
Looking ahead, what is the next step for European Aquatics?
António Silva: The next step is to continue the work.
We are already working towards Silver certification, but the objective is bigger than reaching a particular level. Governance is not something you complete and then move away from. It has to be embedded in the way an organisation operates.
Our responsibility is to keep improving our structures and processes and to ensure that good governance remains part of the culture of European Aquatics.
We want to continue building an organisation that is transparent, accountable and representative of the athletes, Member Federations and wider aquatics community we serve.
