Euro-2012 News Online

 As were informed the journalists at press-conference by Vasiliy Pisnuy, chief of Central Administration for Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Lvov region, police officers are actively preparing for Euro-2012.

According to Mr. Pisnuy, European Union is ready to train 50 policemen from their agency at the cost of EU to prepare them for the service during Euro-2012.

Before the start of the match between Ukraine and Belarus teams management of head department for Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lvov region had meeting with football federation reps having arrived to Lvov the day before the important event in city’s sport life. During the meeting there were discussed issues, problems and vision for the way of training police officers for significant sports event of European scale.  

The news for the journalists was official’s announcement that according to Cabinet’s resolution dated August, 29 policemen won’t be responsible for fans’ security on the stadiums. From this moment on the stadium and football club owners, involved in hosting the matches will take care of their fans’ lives.

“There’s Cabinet’s resolution stating it clear - as underlined Vasiliy Pisnuy, - that during football matches stadium and football club owners are responsible for fans’ safety on the stadium. If till this moment we provided policemen for the stadiums from now on we’ll provide only public security around the stadium. Stadium owners must have their own security service, necessary facilities and so on”.

Police workers will be present on the stadiums and take part in providing public order only during those matches where national team participates, - noted Senior police officer of the region.

 In State budget plan for 2009 the Government has foreseen 13.5 bln hryvnjas to finance programs on preparation and organization of Euro-2012, as informed Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Timoshenko on September, 16 during public presentation of State budget 2009 project. Head of the government highlighted that in 2008 for these needs was only allocated 6.5 bln hryvnjas, - as informs Public Relations Agency of the Cabinet of Ministers Secretariat.

Prime Minister stated the country’s been preparing for the Championship in a large-scale. “We build and set in operation stadiums, construct the airports according to the standards, hotel enterprise construction is underway”.

Yulia Timoshenko expressed her opinion that partners as well as the UEFA will be satisfied with the job, done in this direction: “We’ll be perfectly ready for Euro-2012 because the objects being set in operation today are those of the European level”.

Head of the government noted that Euro-2012 is the question of national image and the only thing that can prevent preparation for the Championship is political chaos having invaded the State today.

 Ukraine and Poland preserved their right for hosting Europe Football Championship 2012 final, as informs the Reuters.

The corresponding decision was passed on Friday, on the second meeting day of UEFA executive office in Bordeaux (France). “The Executive office has confirmed liability on hosting Euro-2012 in Poland and Ukraine” - stated UEFA President Michel Platini at the press-conference. 

While Ukraine and Poland were preparing for Europe Championship, UEFA had some claims connected with a rather slow work pace.

At the same time Mr. Platini made it clear that in theory the countries may still lose Euro-2012 if a list of important terms won’t be carried out. “Finishing construction of stadiums in Kiev and Warsaw remains the necessary constituent of the project in general. - said the head of UEFA. - Without Kiev or Warsaw hosting the Championship is impossible”.

In the UEFA report it’s also noted that minimum amount of stadiums for holding Euro-2012 may be reduced from 8 to 6.

“I’m satisfied with the decision, - stated Grigory Surkis, head of Football Federation of Ukraine. - This means we can go on with our further preparation”.

 UEFA executive office has approved expansion of Europe Football Championship final from 16 to 24 teams since 2016.

On the first meeting day of UEFA executive office in Bordeaux the journalists were informed of future reform by Frantz Bekkenbauer, executive office member. On Friday the proposal got official approval.

According to official site of UEFA final stage format will be the next: 24 teams are divided in 6 groups, 4 in each. Those teams, winning first and second places in the group pass to 1/8 of the final, plus group of four best having won third places. Then is working standard Olympic system: quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. Amount of matches of final championship will rise from 31 to 51.

The UEFA decision will first of all be good for medium level teams - with the new format they’ll have more chances to make their way to the final championship. As to qualifying round of Europe Championship, there will work 5-6 team groups scheme.

For the first time Europe Championship was expanded in 1980 when instead of 4 select teams there played 8. In 1996 amount of participants increased up to 16 (4 teams in 4 groups and then follows play-off). This scheme will be preserved by 2012 inclusive.

As informed “Ukrzaliznutsa” department for communication with the mass media state administration for railway transport of Ukraine “Ukrzaliznutsa” has carried out 80% of the plan of railway transport preparation for hosting final part of Europe Football Championship 2012 in Ukraine. The major “Ukrzaliznutsa” work direction is implementing high-speed train traffic at Ukrainian railways. For the sake of this there was done the set of repair and construction works at such directions as Kiev-Poltava-Krasnograd-Lozovaya-Donetsk, Krasnograd-Dnepropetrovsk, and also Kiev-Zhmerinka-Lvov. There were conducted track repair works, total cost of which makes above 147 mln. hryvnjas.

In particular more than 37 km of tracks were updated, 14.94 km of tracks underwent extensive repairs, medium repair was carried out at 82.925 km of tracks, 89.58 km of tracks underwent preventive maintenance works. This year railway employees have changed 18.3 km of tracks for new ones, and 180 switch sets.

At the same time there were done works on integrated updating of Poltava-Burti-Korustivka railway section to discharge those directions where trains with Euro-2012 fans will go. During the construction of Burti-Korustivka double track together with simultaneous updating of railway tracks and electrification this year there were carried out works on laying 20.57 km new tracks at cost of 29.48 mln hryvnjas. There were modernized 0.875 km of tracks, 3.14 km underwent extensive repairs, 16 old switch sets were changed for new. During electrification of Poltava-Burti-Korustivka section there were mounted 4071 railway poles, 2257 balance levers and 358 hard bars assembled. There were also rolled out 166 km of span wire and 155 km of overhead lines.

Besides, railway employees are planning to build suburb passenger railway stations in Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk and Lvov for Euro-2012. They also have in mind to carry out repair works of stations in the area of Kiev rail junction and to finish construction of station complex at Darnitsa station.