The PAN bill, which classifies harassment as a disciplinary offense in sports and establishes gender quotas in federations, was approved this Thursday by the Assembly of the Republic without a vote against and with abstentions from the PKP.
The final text of the People-Animals-Nature (PAN) bill, presented by the Committee on Culture, Communications, Youth and Sports, was generally approved by all parties, with the exception of the PKP, which abstained.
The draft “qualifies harassment as a disciplinary offense within the legal framework of sports federations and provides for the creation of channels for reporting violations of rules protecting sports ethics.”
On Wednesday, PAN deputy Ines Souza Real explained to Lusa that the measure aims to “guarantee a safe space” in sports.
“Since then, [o projeto de lei] classifies sexual harassment as a disciplinary violation. This now falls not only under the legislation and legal regime applicable to sports federations, but also to the creation of reporting channels created either by the federations or by the League, which only existed on a self-regulatory basis, in the football and handball federations, which had these models.” , explained People-Animals-Nature (PAN) deputy Inés Souza Real to Lusa.
The measure also aims to “guarantee channels for reporting harassment, xenophobia, racism and anti-corruption on the one hand, and on the other to create gender quotas for government bodies, both executive and non-executive, in order to “promote equality in country and in sports where women experience great difficulties after their careers.”
Regarding the issue of gender equality in federal positions, from 2026 onwards a quota of at least 33.3% of representatives of this gender in various bodies is proposed, with a transitional minimum percentage of 20% “after the first general meeting after the entry into force of this law,” – PAN reports.
Another legal perspective included in the law concerns negligent violence, which makes it easier to prosecute the aggressor in the face of evidence, as well as emotional abuse.
Moreover, the new law “has a very broad consensus outside the walls of the Assembly of the Republic”, with consultations being held with federations, the Portuguese Professional Football League, the Portuguese Olympic Committee and the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ). ), quoted by Ines Souza Real.
The first version of this bill was introduced on October 10 last year and was replaced on January 4.
Once approved, it must be promulgated by the President of the Republic and registered in the Official Gazette, giving sports federations a period of 180 days to change the statutes and disciplinary rules in accordance with the new law.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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