A bid to host a continental or world championship is an important matter for any organizer or NACs. The stakes are high, as are the investments in time, energy and money. Just as important is the task, for the Plenary, to rightfully choose who will get the next championships. But who REALLY decides who the winners are?

Our Internal Regulation is very clear: 3.6. Bids for First Class events 

• “The Plenary meeting will award the competition to one of the applicants, if they are qualified.” 
• In order to be qualified, the bidders must follow a certain number of rules, specified in 3.6.1.Three years before the competition and 3.6.2. Two years before the competition.

The last Plenary made significant changes, for safety reason. The Plenary voted the Hang-Gliding and Paragliding Standing Subcommittees (HGSS and PGSS) reports and proposals, that say:

• Bids for Cat 1 must be approved by the appropriate sub committee with regards to safety. (HGSS and PGSS).
• The bidder must have organized an international PG meet before; an observer must report positively on the ability of the organisation to run a safe meet (PGSS).

Those changes means that, in some case, a single observer or the Standing Subcommittees can veto any bid. This means that, although the Plenary still makes the final decision on awarding the event, some bids from NACs may have already been eliminated under this new rule. Some may see this as a conflict between our Internal Regulations and Section 7.

So here we are, with big stakes and some possible ambiguity in our rules… but luckily no bid to give away yet!

The next Bureau meeting will put that matter on its agenda and make a proposal to the HGSS and PGSS, and to the next Plenary, so that everyone knows and understands the rules before the next championships are awarded.

The Bureau knows that safety was the priority of both Subcommittees when they recommended the changes. The Bureau is in no way opposed to this priority. It just wants to sort out possible misunderstandings.