Following the recent announcement that the National Federations for boxing in Russia and Belarus have had their applications for membership endorsed by the Executive Board of World Boxing (subject to full approval at the next World Boxing Congress in November 2026), the Executive Board of European Boxing, as the continental confederation for boxing in Europe, will meet on 13 April 2026 to establish a process for how this will be implemented into its competition structure.

The process will incorporate all competitions from the senior elite level, such as the forthcoming European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 15 – 26 September 2026, to the grassroots.

As part of this process, European Boxing will seek guidance from World Boxing and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the conditions for participation in its competitions, which are expected to follow the AIN procedure – ‘Athlètes Individuels Neutres’ (Individual Neutral Athletes) –  deployed by the IOC for Russian and Belarusian athletes that competed at the recent 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

Under this procedure, boxers from Russia and Belarus participate as individual athletes without a flag or national anthem. Participation will be subject to applicable eligibility and neutrality criteria, in line with the guidance of World Boxing and the IOC.

The meeting of European Boxing’s Executive Board on 13 April 2026 will also consider broader questions regarding the involvement of coaches, officials and administrators from Russia and Belarus in European Boxing activities, in a manner that is consistent with the current international sporting framework.

Lars Brovil, the President of European Boxing said: “The leadership of European Boxing recognises that the endorsement of Russia and Belarus as members of World Boxing means we will need to consider how their participation may be addressed within our competition structures and operations.

“We will be working closely with our existing members, the International Federation and other key stakeholders, including the IOC, to ensure this is done in a way that reflects European Boxing’s commitment to strong governance, sporting integrity and a competitive environment that prioritises boxers and supports the continued development of Olympic boxing.”

Following the meeting on 13 April 2026, European Boxing will circulate a communique to all member National Federations outlining the agreed approach in the days following the meeting.  Until that point, the current ways of working will apply in competitions and at all levels of European Boxing’s operations.