EHF Court of Handball decision released

The EHF Court of Handball has released its decision on the case of the Netherlands Handball Federation and its announcement in June 2012 that it was to withdraw from the organisation of the Women’s EHF European Championship.

The court concluded that the federation should pay a fine of €300,000 (three hundred thousand Euro) on the basis that the late withdrawal from EHF EURO 2012 constituted a serious breach of the EHF statutes and regulations and damaged the image of both the sport and the event.

The Netherlands Handball Federation has also been suspended from the organisation of any EHF national team events from the next three years (until December 2016).

Furthermore, the federation is required to reimburse to the EHF the additional costs and expenses associated with the withdrawal, an amount of €250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand Euro).

The Netherlands Handball Federation was awarded the organisation of the EHF’s flagship national team event at the 2008 EHF Congress in Austria. It announced its withdrawal on 4 June 2012, shortly before the planned draw event for the Final Tournament.

Following the Netherlands’ withdrawal as host of the European Championship, the EHF received expressions of interest in the organisation of the two-week event from 11 nations. The event was ultimately awarded to the Serbian Handball Federation, on the basis of the successful organisation of the Men’s EHF EURO in January 2012. 

According to the EHF legal regulations, the Netherlands Handball Federation may appeal to the EHF Court of Handball within seven days of this decision (before 28 August 2013).