European I&I Capability and Capacity Building Project

During the Final Conference embedded in WADA’s 2024 Symposium (Lausanne, 12 and 13 March 2024), an overview video was presented, showing all the steps that have been put in place within the two-year pilot-project, including actions in the three core activities:

• 4 initial training sessions for NADOs, one online eLearning for law enforcement and 6 advanced workshops with 65 law enforcement and 71 NADO experts attending.
• More than 60 operations launched during the lifespan of the project.  
• A public awareness Campaign “Natural is enough” conducted with 13 million impressions reaching 20 European countries.
• Awareness campaign for decision makers to promote the value of I&I.
• A Final conference embedded in WADA’s 2024 Symposium.

And new tools developed:

• The Sport Investigation Sharing Platform (SISP). A secure communication platform available for all participants from National Anti-Doping Organizations and Law Enforcement agencies.
• Legal framework recommendations
• Handheld device to identify doping substances.

Due to the success of this project WADA will continue building up a Global Anti-doping Intelligence and Investigation Network (GAIIN) in the coming years, with Asia/Oceania region next.

It is important to raise awareness, among decision makers such as ministries of sport, health and justice, and leadership of European anti-doping organizations, of doping in sport and the associated crimes committed.

On an annual basis, WADA will organize a high-level seminar with partners such as Interpol and Europol, which targets such ministries and ADOs. In 2022, we held an information session at WADA's Annual Symposium in Lausanne, Switzerland. In March 2023, we organized a seminar for decision makers to demonstrate the importance of investigation and intelligence gathering. We concluded the project in 2024 with a conference where all training participants discussed outcomes and next steps of an international network of investigators, intelligence analysts and confidential sources managers, to strengthen collaboration and exchange of information.

One of the key objectives of the project was to raise awareness, among decision makers such as ministries of sport, health and justice, and leadership of European anti-doping organizations, of doping in sport and the associated crimes committed.

• On 12 June 2022, the project was introduced during the WADA Annual Symposium. A presentation was provided introducing its key objectives. More than 100 participants, mostly NADOS representatives, attended the event.
• On 14 March 2023, the project organized a dedicated panel discussion during WADA Annual Symposium, in Lausanne, involving 5 panelists from the Anti-Doping community and law enforcement (EUROPOL), on the importance of investing more in Intelligence and Investigation capacity and capabilities. The event was very successful with the participation of 500 attendees.
• The Final conference took place on 12 and 13 March 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland and was embedded into WADA’s annual Symposium. After opening keynotes from WADA President, Witold Bańka, and Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, three dedicated sessions were organized, involving as speakers NADOs, Law enforcement and WADA experts who participated in the various phases of the project:

  • The first session presented the key outcomes and achievements of the project (more than 700 attendees) 

  • The second session emphasized the operational aspects of the project with an awards ceremony (more than 200 attendees) 

  • The third and last session further developed some key outcomes of the project and its future prospective (more than 200 attendees) 

• More than 100 NADOs experts and law enforcement officials, involved in the various phases of the project, were part of the event.