Spanish Congress approves Anti-Doping law

Except for the Basque National Party, all of the Spanish parliamentary groups have approved the anti-doping law project proposed by Congress Commission of Education and Science on Monday, June 19. Congress nevertheless introduced several modifications with respect to the original text impelled by the Spanish Government. This proposition of law should be also approved by the Congress commission next Thursday, June 29, as the next step prior to its shipment to the Senate, where it will continue to hopefully become law in September.

A great part of the amendments aimed at clarifying the competitions of the State and the Independent Communities in the fight against doping, although the mentioned Basque National Party voted against it because they considered it insufficient. Also, the name of the new to-be-created Spanish Antidoping agency was modified, but the most important new feature of the law, with regard to the sanctioning regime and the responsibility in doping cases, is that persons involved in the surroundings of the sportsman may also be held legally responsible.

The project of statutory law in the fight against the doping was approved by the Spanish government on March 17. It will reform criminal law and includes imprisonment sanctions of six months to two years for crimes related to consumption of prohibited substances, as well as regulating out-of-competition controls.

Courtesy of Antonio J. Salmerón