On Saturday, 29th March 2025, Budapest will host the 17th Ordinary Congress of the European Canoe Association (ECA). A congress will be organised with the support of the Hungarian Canoe Federation, the President Gabor Schmidt and his team. Delegates will vote for the Vice President of the association and members of the Board of Directors. Additionally, several presentations will be made regarding the activities conducted over the past two years, as well as the strategic development plans for the coming years.
The highlight of the congress in Hungary's capital will be the election of the new leadership of the European Canoe Association. Moira Aston is candidate for the position of Vice President. Her rich experience in leading positions within sports organisations will be a great asset for the ECA. “She currently serves as a board member of the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Chief Executive of Canoeing Ireland. She has played a pivotal role in advancing grassroots programs, fostering athlete development pathways, and promoting inclusivity in the sport,” her candidacy states.
In line with the new Statute adopted last autumn at the ECA Extraordinary Congress in Antalya, elections will also be held for five positions on the Board of Directors. Most will be appointed for a four-year term, while one position will be for a two-year term due to Jovana Stanojevic stepping down prematurely as Board Member after being appointed ECA Sport and Event Manager.
A total of six candidates are competing for the five available spots (in alphabetical order): Vitor Felix from Portugal, Christian Jacobsen from Denmark, Peter Karai from Hungary (seeking re-election), Eva Lindmark from Sweden, Greg Smale from Great Britain, and Stien Verlinden from Belgium. All candidates have rich experience in canoeing, from competitive to organisational roles.
The congress will also appoint two ECA representatives to the Board of Directors of the International Canoe Federation.
Delegates will also face another important decision regarding a potential name change for the organisation. Following in the footsteps of the International Canoe Federation, which will be renamed “Paddle Worldwide”, the ECA Board is proposing that the ECA be renamed “Paddle Europe”.
As part of the congress, delegates will be presented with a review of the work completed over the past two years, covering governance, sports programme, development, health and well-being... Presentations will also focus on the future vision and the development of recreational and educational programmes. A segment of the congress will be dedicated to colleagues presenting the Special Olympics.
Previous ECA Congress Locations:
- 1993 - Rome
- 1995 - Teesside
- 1997 - Plovdiv
- 1999 - Zagreb
- 2001 - Gyor
- 2003 - Milan
- 2005 - Cavtat-Dubrovnik
- 2007 - Larnaca
- 2009 - Bratislava
- 2011 - Porto
- 2013 - Zagreb
- 2015 - Sofia
- 2017 - Bucharest
- 2019 - Belgrade
- 2021 - Bratislava
- 2023 - Chania
- 2024 - Antalya (Extraordinary Congress)
- 2025 - Budapest
28.3.2025
