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European Commission to boycott Ukraineâ€™s Euro-2012

04 May 2012 12:46 (UTC +04:00)

The decision was made out of concern for the political situation in the country and the treatment of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, Androulla Vassiliou said.

Vassiliou joins Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and justice commissioner Viviane Reding, who had earlier pledged not to attend games in Ukraine.

â€œI share these concerns and therefore have decided in my capacity as the European commissioner responsible for sport that in these circumstances it would be inappropriate for me to attend any matches that will take place in Ukraine,â€ Vassiliou said in a statement obtained by RIA Novosti.

â€œThis view is shared by both the president and other members of the European Commission.â€

Ukraine is playing co-host with Poland for the Euro 2012 tournament, which begins June 8 and is considered one of Europe’s most prestigious sporting events.

"I really hope that this football tournament will be a real success and that I can visit one of the matches taking place in Poland," said the Cypriot commissioner.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly threatened last week to ban her ministers from attending, and a poll conducted by German state television showed 74 percent public support for a ministerial boycott, with 30 percent wanting the national team called home.

In Poland, which is co-hosting the tournament with Ukraine, the political classes are split over the question of a boycott.

This week Polish opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski called for a boycott of matches in Ukraine to protest the treatment of the country’s imprisoned opposition politician Yulia Tymoshenko.

Kaczynski suggested that games should be moved from Ukraine, although UEFA tournament director Martin Kallen appeared to rule this out in comments Monday.

The comments put Kaczynski, head of the opposition Law and Justice party, at odds with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, who said a boycott was â€œinappropriateâ€ in comments on Polish television Wednesday.