EXEC takes key decisions for national team competitions

It received the updated reports from all areas, i.e. the Technical Commissions, the Legal Management, the Anti-doping Unit and EHF Marketing.

An intermediate report on the financial year 2023 was also given, which will be followed by the report of the external auditors and the EHF Comptroller in March/April this year.

While the Men’s EHF EURO 2024 as such as well as its impact on European handball in the future were at the core of the meeting, several decisions related to other national team competitions were made.

Following a motion of the competitions department, the Men’s 20 and Men’s 18 EHF Championships this summer have been awarded to Kosovo and Slovakia.

Kosovo will host the Men’s 18 EHF Championships II (with seven teams) and the Men’s 20 EHF Championship (with 12 teams). The former will be played between 12 and 18 August, the latter in between 13 and 21 July.

The Men’s 18 EHF Championship I (with eight teams) was awarded to Slovakia. It will also be played between 12 and 18 August.

Following another motion, submitted by the competitions department and confirmed by the EXEC, Latvia, as the best-ranked team not yet qualified, received a place in the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers Phase 2.

This one place was until now open due to the non-admittance of Russia and Belarus.

The Men’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers draw with 32 teams will take place 21 March in Copenhagen.        

EHF Calendar 2025/26 confirmed

Looking ahead to the seasons coming, the EHF calendar for the season 2025/26 has been approved by the EXEC.

That season includes the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 in Denmark, Sweden and Norway which is scheduled to be played from 15 January to 1 February 2026.

Key dates for the club competitions are 16-17 May 2026 for the EHF Finals Women, 30-31 May 2026 for the EHF Finals Men, 6-7 June 2026 for the EHF FINAL4 Women and 13-14 June 2026 for the EHF FINAL4 Men

EHF Sustainability Board formed

Following the presentation of the European Handball Federation’s approach to sustainability at the EHF Congress in Basel last September, the EXEC confirmed the members for the EHF Sustainability Board.

It is the board’s task to support and coordinate recommendations for the political and operational fields of the European Handball Federation. It will meet on a regular basis.

The following persons form the board:

• Franjo Bobinac – Chairman / Sustainable Governance (4th from right)
• Christopher Jahns – Vice-Chairman / Expert (right)
• Ingrid Felipe – Member / Environmental Sustainability (third from right)
• Jacqueline Müller – Member / Social Sustainability (centre)
• Martin Hausleitner, EHF Secretary General (2nd from right)
• David Szlezak, EHF Marketing Managing Director (left)
• Bernhard Binder EHF Chief Finance Officer (4th from left)