Procedure for 2015 World Championship Qualification Europe approved

The EHF Executive Committee has approved the playing system for the 2015 World Championship Qualification Europe.

For the 2015 World Championship there are 12 places available for European teams. A 13th place automatically goes to the defending champions, Spain.

The three best ranked teams from the Men's EHF EURO 2014 directly qualify for the World Championship, leaving nine places to be decided in play-off matches involving 18 teams in June 2014.

12 teams will qualify automatically for these play-off matches from EHF EURO 2014, there are therefore six places to be played for through a first qualification phase.

Up to the registration deadline on 6 June 2013, 37 teams had registered, with the result that 21 teams should compete for the 6 remaining places in qualification.

The EHF Executive Committee approved a proposal that 20 teams will compete in this phase, in five groups of four teams. The winner of each group will then progress to qualifcation phase 2.

Additionally, it was decided that the remaining team will qualify directly for qualification phase 2. This has been given to the second best third ranked team from EHF EURO 2014 qualification phase 2, which is Germany.