Visas: facilitating procedures for members of the Olympic family taking part in the 2004 Games in Athens

The committee adopted the report by Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM (EPP-ED, FIN) broadly approving the proposal under the consultation procedure, subject to a few amendments. It wanted the participant's nationality to be included in the list of essential personal details required on the applications for the issue of an Olympic accreditation card. It also wanted the Greek authorities to be required to provide a report on the various aspects of implementing the regulation four months after the close of the Paralympic Games (rather than six months as proposed). The Commission, in turn, should draw up its evaluation report early enough to enable the Italian authorities to take its conclusions into account when organising the Olympic Winter Games to be held in Turin in 2006.�