The ECA is a court of arbitration specialised in sport and more specifically in handball. It has been created by the EHF in 2007 during the 8th EHF Extraordinary Congress with the objective to make available to every sport and handball stakeholder a unique mean of disputes resolution. The ECA with its efficient, simple and independent arbitration proceedings and its two years experience has proved to be a serious alternative to civil court proceedings.

• ECA and the EHF legal system
• ECA Competence
• ECA Composition
• ECA Procedure
• ECA Costs
• ECA Council - ECC
• ECA Office – Contacts
• ECA Arbitrators List

The ECA has been officially recognised by the EHF in its Statutes. Cases decided by the EHF legal bodies can therefore be finally referred to the ECA under the condition that all legal remedies available within the EHF have been exhausted.

The EHF Court of Arbitration has been granted competence in the following matters: "disputes arising between the EHF and national Federations, the national Federation among each other, national Federations and their clubs with regard to cross-border facts, in conjunction with disputes emerging from EHF competitions, as well as between Player, Player's agent, EHF, national Federations and clubs". Moreover the ECA may handle other sport-related cases, "if it serves the protection of legal certainty and principle of law and legal entity as well as matter of principle relating to sport".

The cases are decided by the ECA through an arbitral chamber of three arbitrators chosen by the parties in the ECA Arbitrators List. The arbitrators included in such List have been nominated by the National Federations or the EHF taking in consideration their knowledge and experience in the domain of sport, their legal competence as well as their capacity to handle arbitration proceedings in total impartiality and independence. You can find the names and profiles of all the ECA arbitrators below under the section ECA Arbitrators List.

The arbitrators chosen to form an ECA arbitral chamber shall work in full impartiality and independence without following any directions or representing any party.

This system of free choice by the parties of the arbitrators deciding on their cases has been put in place in order to assure the independence of this new Court of Arbitration and its recognition by all members of the Sport world.

The arbitration proceedings within the ECA are dealt with in English.

After a claim has been filed with the ECA Office to refer a certain case to the EHF Court of Arbitration, each party nominates its own arbitrator from the ECA Arbitrators List. The third arbitrator is chosen also from the List by the two nominated arbitrators. He presides as Chairman over the proceedings. The proceedings may be handled orally and/ or in writing. Upon presentation by each of the parties of arguments, pleadings, communications or documents, the ECA arbitral chamber decides on the case in accordance with the EHF Regulations and the relevant contracts, as far as this does not conflict with the general principles of law and renders a final written award.

The efficiency of the ECA proceedings has been reinforced with the revision of the Rules of Arbitration for the ECA. Three months maximum are now granted to the arbitral chamber to render its award. Moreover the possibility to handle a case with an express procedure has been introduced in order to answer when necessary the needs of the sport competition in terms of organisation.

Further information on the ECA procedure can be found in the Rules of Arbitration for the ECA, available under this link:
(Legal/Rules of Arbitration ECA) or in the ECA official website: www.eca-handball.com

Any claim filed with the ECA Office will be registered upon payment of a deposit of EUR 5.000.

The amount of deposit consists of the following elements:

• A registration fee of € 1.500,
• An advance payment of administrative costs, of any value added tax and cash outlay for the ECA Office,
• An advance payment of arbitrators' fees.

The ECA Office may demand further payment to the claimant, when necessary.

The registration fee is not repayable. The advance payments may be refunded to the claimant depending on the decision of the ECA arbitral chamber and the cost of the arbitration proceedings. As a general rule the unsuccessful party bears the costs of the arbitration proceedings (including in particular the administrative costs and the arbitrators´ fees). Such rule may be mitigated by the ECA arbitral chamber taking in consideration the circumstances of the case.

The ECA Council made up of three members -one President and two Vice-Presidents- and an Office has been created along with the ECA in order to safeguard its independence and the rights of the parties.

This new Council, besides having a role of representation of the ECA towards the EHF Congress, is mainly responsible for the administration of the new Court of Arbitration, including in particular the following functions:

• Work structuring,
• Confirmation of the nominated arbitrators after review of the legal criteria,
• Appointment of substitute arbitrators,
• Appointment of arbitrators for interim measures of protection.

The ECA Council is currently managed by the following members:

• Mr. Jörgen Holmqvist, Sweden, President
• Mrs. Janka Stasova, Slovakia, Vice-President
• Mr. Jacques Bettenfeld, France, Vice-President

The ECA Council members are automatically inserted in the ECA Arbitrators List.

The ECA Office, as part of the ECA Council, has been given the function to look ahead for the arbitrational handling of the disputes by the ECA and to provide an organisational support to the ECA Council and the arbitrators in the view to assure the compliance with the Rules of Arbitration for the ECA, the transparency of the ECA proceedings and the neutral and independent administration of business of the ECA Council.

The ECA Office is also available to answer any question with regard to the EHF Court of Arbitration, do not hesitate to contact us:
ECA Office
Maelle Grimaud
Hoffingergasse 18
1120 Vienna, Austria

Tel: +43 (1) 80 151-444
Fax: +43 (1) 80 151-449
Email: office@eca-handball.com
Website: www.eca-handball.com

		BACH, Guido Vienna, Austria		kanzlei@zandlgrundei.at
		JOKLIK, Andreas Vienna, Austria	Curriculum Vitae	office@joklik.at
		MÖDLAGL, Thomas Vienna, Austria		office@ra-kmem.at
		BLANPAIN, Roger Winksele, Belgium	Curriculum Vitae	roger.blanpain@cer-leuven.be
		COLUCCI, Michele Overijse, Belgium	Curriculum Vitae	info@colucci.eu
		KUDREIKO, Sergey Minsk, Belarus	Curriculum Vitae	merseboss@yandex.ru
		SORIC, Alan Zagreb, Croatia	Curriculum Vitae	alan@law-soric.com
		EFTHYMIOU, Theosevia Strovolos, Nicosia, Cyprus	Curriculum Vitae	evie@de-law.eu
		SKORDIS, Stefanos Nicosia, Cyprus	Curriculum Vitae	stefanos@steskolaw.com
		GRAAE, Björn Ry, Denmark	Curriculum Vitae	b.graae45@gmail.com
		HALGREEN, Lars Copenhagen, Denmark	Curriculum Vitae	lha@jslaw.dk
		JOHNSEN, Henrik Copenhagen, Denmark	Curriculum Vitae	hj@domstol.dk
		JUSTESEN, Signe Dragor, Denmark	Curriculum Vitae	signe@dragoer.dk
		AYELA SAMPER, Carmen Alicante, Spain	Curriculum Vitae	legal@ayela-abogados.com
		CRESPO PEREZ, Juan de Dios Valencia, Spain	Curriculum Vitae	jddcrespo@ruizcrespo.com
		JÜRISSON, Mihkel Harku vald, Estonia	Curriculum Vitae	mihkelj@hotmail.com
		KIRSBERG, Markus Tallinn, Estonia		markus.kirsberg@gmail.com
		JOHANSEN, Kristian Tórshavn, Faroe Islands		kristian@pm.fo
		HENTTONEN, Jari Helsinki, Finland	Curriculum Vitae	jari.henttonen@kolumbus.fi
		OJALA, Pirjo Järvenpää, Finland
		BETTENFELD, Jacques Longeville-les-Metz, France		jbettenfe@numericable.fr
		SKIVINGTON, Glenn Berkshire, Great Britain		glenns@gordons-law.co.uk
		WEATHERILL, Stephen Oxford, Great Britain	Curriculum Vitae	stephen.weatherill@law.ox.ac.uk
		WILLS, Colin Nottingham, Great Britain	Curriculum Vitae	colin.wills@nottingham.ac.uk
		THIEL, Andreas Köln, Germany		info@thiel-schaefer.de
		GROLLIOS, Christos Thessaloniki, Greece		grolliolaw@yahoo.gr
		STOIKOS, Evangelos Thessaloniki, Greece	Curriculum Vitae	info@lawstoikosthessaloniki.gr
		TSOGIAS, Panagiotis Thessaloniki, Greece	Curriculum Vitae	tsogias@otenet.gr
		WARVASOVSZKY, Donát Kapolnasnyek, Hungary		wadon@freemail.hu
		GUNNARSSON, Gunnar K. Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland	Curriculum Vitae	gghiv@eyjar.is
		ANTEBI, Avi Tel Aviv, Israel		Antebiav@netvision.net.il
		HART, Itzhak Rishon Le-Zion, Israel		hartsport@gmail.com
		EMULINS, Raimonds Jürmala, Latvia	Curriculum Vitae	raimonds@sporto.lv
		GAILIS, Atis Riga, Latvia	Curriculum Vitae	atis.gailis@gbbirojs.lv
		VADZITIS, Edgars Aizkraukle, Latvia	Curriculum Vitae	edgars.vadzitis@inbox.lv
		VINGRIS, Aigars Riga, Latvia	Curriculum Vitae	aigars.vingris@gmail.com
		DEVYZIS, Marius Vilnius, Lithuania	Curriculum Vitae	marius.devyzis@varul.com
		DOCKA, Paulius Vilnius, Lithuania	Curriculum Vitae
		SPIELMANN, Lynn Dudelange, Luxembourg	Curriculum Vitae	lynn.spielmann@ja.etat.lu
		NACHEVSKI, Marjan Skopje, FYR Macedonia	Curriculum Vitae	nachevski@yahoo.com
		PANNEKEET, Koos Tuitjenhorn, Netherlands	Curriculum Vitae	j.m.pannekeet@quicknet.nl
		LANGANGEN, Jan Erik Langangen, Norway	Curriculum Vitae	langangen@langangen.no
		WIIG, Marit Oslo, Norway	Curriculum Vitae	marit.wiig@online.no
		BASINSKI, Hubert Poznan, Poland	Curriculum Vitae	h.basinski@wbkancelaria.pl
		DZIARNOWSKA, Agata Warsaw, Poland	Curriculum Vitae	agata.dziarnowska@msport.gov.pl
		DINU, Sorin-Laurentiu Bucharest, Romania	Curriculum Vitae	sorindinu@alcedoltd.ro
		KORSIC, Ales Pobegi, Slovenia		ales.korsic@cimos.eu
		JENNY, Christian Meilen, Switzerland		christian.jenny@sjp-jur.ch
		OLSTEIN, Daniel Basel, Switzerland	Curriculum Vitae	daniel.olstein@lawyers.ch
		STRAUB, Philipp Evilard, Switzerland	Curriculum Vitae	ph_straub@hotmail.com
		DURISINOVA, Maria Bratislava, Slovakia		maria.durisinova@socpoist.sk
		STASOVA, Janka Bratislava, Slovakia	Curriculum Vitae	janka.stasova13@gmail.com
		HOLMQVIST, Jörgen Lund, Sweden	Curriculum Vitae	jorgenholmqvist@hotmail.com
		LIEDHOLM, Fredrik Helsingborg, Sweden	Curriculum Vitae	Fredrik.Liedholm@kockums.se
		LINDQVIST, Ragnar Helsingborg, Sweden	Curriculum Vitae	rli@msa.se
		BOZKURT, Cumhur Ankara, Turkey		cumhur.bozkurt@nurol.com.tr
		OZ, Sevki Onur Ankara, Turkey	Curriculum Vitae	onuroz@ozandoz.com
		YUMASHEV, Vasili Kiev, Ukraine	Curriculum Vitae	nuhf@voliacable.com