International Federation of Football Association.
Council of Europe report: reform of FIFA transfer system will 'significantly improve' football.
The Council of Europe applauded FIFA's efforts to change the transfer system, noting that the soon-to-be-operational FIFA Clearing House "will represent an important step towards a more comprehensive, transparent, and honest transfer system for footballers around the world" based on the work of its Group of States against Corruption (GRECO).
The report FIFA Transfer System – Analysis and Recommendations (link to the report), authored by Drago Kos, former President of GRECO and Chairman of the OECD Working Group on Combating Bribery in International Business Transactions, explains that "simplifying the methods of calculating training remuneration and channeling it through the FIFA Clearing House could significantly improve club revenues at lower levels of competition".
The document recognizes that the FIFA Agents Regulations, which are due to come into force in July 2022, are "an important step in the right direction; the role of agents will thus be more aligned with that of other football stakeholders - clubs , players, etc. – and the goals of the transfer system."
With regard to the reforms envisaged concerning loans, the report underlines that "the new regulations are designed to prevent their misuse, protect the careers of young players and ensure the integrity of competitions. The excessive use of loans has had impact on the competitiveness of clubs, distorted the uncertainty of competition outcomes and slowed the development of players in their careers."
The Council of Europe report further addresses other key areas of FIFA's transfer system reform, including transfers of underage players, squad sizes, homegrown players and transfer windows. The report concludes that "FIFA's decision to revise and strengthen the transfer system will undoubtedly significantly improve the overall situation in world football."
The report also outlines 20 other proposals for improvement relating to the operation and management of data of the Clearing House, compliance standards for clubs, conflict of interest provisions in the draft FIFA and the protection of foreign minor players involved in transfers.
Since 2017, and in accordance with FIFA President Gianni Infantino's Vision 2020-2023: Making Football Truly Global, significant steps have been made to create a more fair and transparent system. Most recently, the FIFA Council approved the third reform package. Here is a summary of the significant accomplishments related to the transfer system reform.
Regarding GRECO
The Council of Europe established the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in 1999 to oversee member states' adherence to the organization's anti-corruption guidelines.
By ensuring that its members adhere to the criteria set by the Council of Europe in the fight against corruption through a dynamic process of peer pressure and mutual review, GRECO seeks to strengthen the capacity of its members to combat corruption. As a result, it encourages States to implement the required legislative, institutional, and practical reforms by assisting in identifying gaps in national anti-corruption policies. GRECO is a venue for exchanging the most effective techniques for preventing and identifying corruption.
Membership of GRECO, an extended agreement, is not limited to Council of Europe member states. Indeed, any State having participated in the elaboration of the Enlarged Partial Agreement may join GRECO, by simple notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. In addition, any State that becomes a Party to the Criminal or Civil Law Conventions on Corruption automatically joins GRECO and agrees to submit to its evaluation procedures. At present, GRECO has 50 member states (48 European states, Kazakhstan and the United States of America).
More information about GRECO HERE
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