European Aquatics Integrity Unit brought together representatives of National Federations, the European Aquatics’ Bureau and members of the European and the World Aquatics’ Integrity Units on 12 August for a dedicated meeting focused on integrity, ethics and safeguarding across aquatic sports.
Held at the Aquatics Olympic Centre in Paris, 50 participants had the possibility to interact with members of the European Aquatics Integrity Council, Adjudicatory Body and Integrity Unit.
The session provided an opportunity to share experiences and lessons from the Paris 2026 European Aquatics Championships, while looking at how integrity and safeguarding can continue to be strengthened across the European Aquatics’ community. These areas are a core part of European Aquatics’ strategy and its commitment to promoting ethical and safe sporting environments.
The meeting was opened by the European Aquatics President Antonio Silva and Jouni Karvo, Chair of the European Aquatics Integrity Council, who addressed integrity in Paris, the importance of moving from awareness to action, and the role of education and cooperation.
Marc Cavaliero, European Aquatics Ethics Officer, then provided an overview of the European Aquatics Integrity Unit, including the EA Integrity Code, its scope and jurisdiction, reporting processes and cooperation between different organisations, as well as developments from the past 12 months.
The meeting also featured Justin Lessard, Senior Manager of the Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU), who presented the organization’s current focus areas and discussed coordination between the AQIU, European Aquatics Integrity Unit and National Federations. The session also looked ahead to the future priorities for integrity in aquatic sports.
The programme concluded with an open discussion and Q&A, giving National Federation representatives the opportunity to exchange views and contribute to the development of a coordinated approach to integrity across European aquatics.
The meeting exemplified European Aquatics’ ongoing work to strengthen integrity, ethics, safeguarding and education, while supporting National Federations in developing a consistent and effective approach to this vital theme.
