Euro 2008: Publishers and Uefa reach agreement

 
The tug-of-war over the accreditation regulations for journalists at the 2008 European Football Championships has come to an end around 50 days before the start of the games. Compared to the original draft, publishers were able to negotiate more freedom, for example for the Internet publication of photos. There are now no longer any restrictions on the number of photos that can be published online during the Games. Only slideshows are not yet possible, as images are to be posted at 20-second intervals. Uefa initially wanted to limit the number of photos to 10 per half of the match, and there will also be no restrictions on reporting outside the venues, for example on training grounds or in players' accommodation. This was announced by Swiss Press on Wednesday. The agreement between the European Newspaper Publishers' Association ENPA and Uefa was reached at a meeting between their presidents Valdo Lehari and Michel Platini and representatives of the Swiss and Austrian publishers' associations. Lehari described the provisions as a compromise for the expectations of the newspapers. The meeting took place at Uefa headquarters in Nyon. The talks had dragged on for several months.