Following significant efforts by Football Supporters Europe (FSE), the Council of Europe unanimously adopted a recommendation in October 2025 that reinforces the rights of travelling supporters and firmly establishes that collective bans must only ever be used in the most exceptional circumstances.
🌍🗣️FSE was at the @CoE Saint-Denis Convention Standing Committee meeting in Strasbourg this week highlighting concerns over collective travel bans on away supporters.
— Football Supporters Europe (@FansEurope) December 5, 2024
Hereās a quick explainer of what this means & why it matters to fans 👇 1/5 pic.twitter.com/eZT9b0IhIt
All the then thirty-one member countries endorsed the text, in principle sending a clear message that blanket restrictions on supporters cannot become routine or convenient tools for public authorities.
The recommendation underlines that collective bans should never be introduced simply because authorities are overstretched or unwilling to engage with more proportionate approaches. Instead, action should focus on individuals who pose a genuine threat to public order, not on entire groups of supporters. For the first time the Council of Europe has set out the principle that collective punishment has no place in modern football governance.
When authorities believe a collective ban is truly unavoidable, they will now be expected to provide clear evidence explaining why no alternative measure is possible. This commitment to transparency and accountability ensures that decisions can be assessed, questioned and appealed when necessary. The recommendation also addresses the long-standing problem of bans being announced at very short notice. Public authorities are encouraged to communicate any intended ban as early as possible after the competitionās draw, reducing disruption for supporters who may already have committed time and money to attending a match. Crucially this will also ensure there is enough time for appeals to be lodged if a ban is put in place.
This achievement marks a major milestone for FSE and its work with the Council of Europe, as it is the first time that a civil society organisation has initiated a recommendation. The drafting process began with FSE and demonstrates the influence that supporter organisations now hold at international level.
Our role at the Council of Europe is not simply to listen but to contribute to shaping policy and improve the conditions supporters face when following their clubs across the continent. This recommendation opens the door to further progress on key issues affecting the matchday experience.
The recommendation also strengthens the legal position of supporters. Future challenges to restrictive travel bans will be able to rely on the standards endorsed by the Council of Europe and approved by national governments. Any authority imposing a disproportionate ban may have to justify why its decision departs from this recommendation, giving supporters a stronger basis to hold institutions to account.
While this is a significant step forward, our work continues. Our goal is a reality where collective travel bans are no longer needed and where supporter rights are fully respected across Europe. These recommendations bring that future closer and underline the importance of continued engagement with international institutions. The proof with this will be in the implementation, it is now down to the Council of Europe member states to properly instigate the recommendations.
So, what does this mean for fans?
Supporters will benefit from clearer protections, more transparency and earlier communication around any travel restrictions. Authorities will need to justify decisions, focus on individuals rather than entire supporter groups, and announce any intended bans much earlier, reducing financial risk and uncertainty. Fans will also have stronger grounds to challenge unfair or disproportionate restrictions through legal or administrative appeals. The question now is how committed each of the Council of Europe member states are to safely welcoming and hosting away fans by following the recommendation. FSE is working with other key stakeholders to keep them aware of their commitments and ensure they do.
Make our voice even stronger. Join FSE today.