It is with great sadness that the staff of the EOC EU Office learned of the death of the President of the European Olympic Committees, Janez Kocijancic. Both, as EOC Vice-President in the years 2013-2016 and in his time as President from 2016 onwards, he was closely connected with the EOC EU Office. Since 2016, he has played a major role in the organisation of the Office as Chairman of the Board of the EOC EU Office. It has always been a particular concern of him to build a cooperative and trusting relationship with the European Union. At the same time, he regularly pointed out that sport in Europe is organised on a pan-European level and that a European sports policy can only be successful if it also involves the National Olympic Committees and sports federations whose states do not belong to the EU.
President Kocijancic represented the Olympic Movement on important occasions such as the Council meetings of the European Sports Ministers, the EU Sport Forum and was also a regular guest at the European Evening of Sport of the EOC EU Office. At all these meetings, he always worked hard to ensure that the societal role of the Olympic sports movement was sufficiently understood and recognised by politicians.
With Janez Kocijancic, the Olympic movement loses one of its leading personalities. The EOC EU Office wishes his family the strength to get through this difficult time and sends the warmest condolences.
With kind regards.
Folker Hellmund
Director EOC EU Office