Malta signs anti-doping convention

Malta was yesterday one of 14 countries which signed the Council of Europe's Anti-Doping Convention during a meeting of sports ministers in Warsaw, Poland.

The other countries were Armenia, Austria, the observer state Canada, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".

A protocol to the convention institutes mutual recognition of doping controls by national anti-doping organisations on athletes from other countries.

It also recognises the authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency to carry out its out-of-competition tests, and sets up a binding control mechanism.

Malta was represented by parliamentary secretary Jesmond Mugliett.

Malta does not have a law against the illegal use of substances, meaning that it cannot yet ratify the convention. However, the new sports law, which includes provisions on doping, is expected to be passed through parliament within a few weeks, the Department of Information said.