Crux (#04 April 2012)

Ready to Host Visitors?..

EURO 2012 will start in Ukraine in several months. A lot of football fans from all over the world are planning to visit our country. For this reason, we have asked our panelists to share their views regarding the legal protection of foreign citizens on the territory of Ukraine during the Championship, which legal services will be most in demand during sporting events such as EURO 2012, the actions of foreign citizen (football fan) in cases of loss of passport/wallet, when the apartments he booked earlier suddenly appear occupied.

Alexander Weigelt, Rechtsanwalt (Berlin), Partner, Noerr Kiev

Alexander Weigelt, Rechtsanwalt (Berlin), Partner, Noerr Kiev

Almost everyone knows that Poland and Ukraine will host the UEFA EURO 2012 European Football Championship, with the first matches scheduled for June 2012. Preparations for the championship have already stimulated the construction, hospitality, and transport industries, not to mention banks, investors and law firms.

Even after the stadiums and hotels are built, legal services will remain in peak demand during the Championship and after the last whistle is blown in the final match in Kiev. Some anticipated concerns are:

— Customs brokers and transporters will be overbooked, last minute contracts drafted and urgent customs issues will arise.

— Official sponsors will try to protect their rights from competitors seeking to profit from the event without paying for it. Can a non-sponsor call its offerings “EUROburgers” without drawing the ire of UEFA as the exclusive holder of EURO 2012 trademarks? Can a car dealer use a football to advertise cars?

Other issues will also arise — with any event of this scale, some problems will not be anticipated

— EURO 2012 matches will be viewed both in and outside stadiums. Can access to viewing areas be restricted? Can viewers be prohibited from bringing their own beer and drinks? Can a private business organize public match viewings?

Other issues will also arise — with any event of this scale, some problems will not be anticipated. However, lawyers must respond to clients needs as quickly as possible so that the tournament and related services can proceed without the distraction of drawn out disputes.

Iryna Vlasyuk, Junior Associate, ILF Integrites

Iryna Vlasyuk, Junior Associate, ILF Integrites

Ukraine cherishes high hopes for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, particularly in the economic domain. Money has been invested not only in stadiums but in road construction. In the meantime, one of the most important questions is providing conditions for the safe stay of foreign tourists in Ukraine during the matches. The Constitution of Ukraine (Article 26) and the On the Legal Status of Foreigners and People without Citizenship Act of Ukraine (Article 3) establish the national legal regime for foreigners. To enter the country, it is sufficient to provide a national passport at border crossing points for nationals of countries that Ukraine has signed visa-free agreements with. Nationals of countries that come under the visa regime with Ukraine are required to present a foreign passport with a valid visa stamp. It is essential to have these documents during the entire stay of a foreign citizen on Ukrainian territory. In the case of a loss of documents, a foreigner should contact an embassy of the respective home country in order to obtain a certificate necessary for return to the country of citizenship.

It would be a good idea to introduce a package approach, covering travel and accommodation arrangements, a call centre for consultations in English

Medical care provision, use of transport and food services involve some difficulties related to the language barrier. A possible solution can be found through travel agencies that can arrange appropriate support for foreigners during their stay in Ukraine.

To obtain medical care, foreigners can refer to any public, municipal or private medical centre. The payment for medical services should be either covered by travel insurance policy (if arranged in advance) or by paying a bill upon actual provision of the services.

Taking into account the relatively “young age” of tourist services in Ukraine, it would be a good idea to introduce a package approach, covering travel and accommodation arrangements, a call centre for consultations in English, including basic legal support for foreigners.

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