The UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Sofia today, has approved the bidding requirements and bid regulations for the UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament, which will be staged in 12 cities across Europe following a decision by the committee in Lausanne in December.

The matches at the 2020 finals will be split into 13 different packages: 12 ordinary packages including three group games and one knockout round match (round of 16 or quarter-final), and one package for the semi-finals and the final. Both semi-finals and the final will be played in one stadium. For further details, see UEFA Media Release No006 from 25 January.



Each national association will be entitled to present up to two bids: one for the ordinary package and one for the semi-finals/final package. Each association can also decide to present the same city for these two bids or two different cities. Projected stadiums will be admitted in the bidding process, with a deadline of 2016 for the construction of any new stadium to start, failing which the decision on such a host city could be reviewed.

Following the approval of the bidding requirements and bid regulations at the Sofia meeting, a voting procedure which ensures a full representation for all of Europe was also endorsed. The bidding process timeline agreed by the Executive Committee in January is as follows:

• 26 April 2013: Publication of the bid regulations, bid requirements and launch of the bidding phase

• 11 September 2013: Formal confirmation of their bid by the candidates

• 25 April 2014: Submission of bid dossiers

• May–August 2014: Evaluation and potential site visits by UEFA

• September 2014: Appointment of the host cities by the UEFA Executive Committee

Other news

Elsewhere on the agenda, the Executive Committee ratified Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal and Russia as new members of the UEFA Referee Convention, which seeks to enhance referee education, promote the role of the match official and improve refereeing structures and development within Europe.

It approved the 2013/14 budget for submission to the XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress on 24 May in London, which included specific funding – €10m support to national associations over three years – to implement the additional assistant referees' programme. The Executive Committee also finalised the final programme and agenda for the aforementioned UEFA Congress.

Approval was given for the following competition regulations: 2013/14 UEFA Champions League, 2013/14 UEFA Europa League, 2013 UEFA Super Cup, 2013/14 UEFA Women's Champions League, 2013/14 UEFA Youth League and 2013/14 UEFA Futsal Cup.

The committee also rubber-stamped the UEFA Medical Regulations, 2013 edition and the UEFA Anti-Doping Regulations, 2013 edition.

The next meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee is scheduled to take place in London on 22/23 May, ahead of the XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress the following day.