Hansard

It is a pleasure to address the Parliament this afternoon at this key milestone for the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill. I am sure that football is more on our minds than it has been for a long time, and it is great to be debating a major football event again. The bill is a vital step in enabling Scotland to play its part in hosting Euro 2028.

I thank members for their constructive engagement in getting the bill to this point. In particular, I thank the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee for its scrutiny and careful consideration. I also thank our stakeholders including the Union of European Football Associations, the Scottish Football Association, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council, all of which provided evidence to help to inform discussion on the bill.

Scotland is the perfect stage to host three of the world’s top sporting events over the next three years—the Commonwealth games in 2026, the Tour de France grand départ in 2027 and Euro 2028—bringing economic, social and cultural benefits to people and businesses right across the country.

I am sure that the passion and dedication shown by players and supporters alike will make Euro 2028 really special. Through hosting it, Glasgow and Scotland will be able to showcase our nation as a welcoming, diverse and energetic country to a global audience.

The championship is predicted to generate socioeconomic benefits of around £270 million in our country. It will provide opportunities for a number of sectors, boosting tourism and supporting our country’s culture.

Glasgow will host at least one official UEFA fan zone, extending the experience beyond Hampden park.

The tournament offers a significant opportunity for Scotland to generate social and economic benefits. It will promote our nation as an ideal place to visit, study, work and invest. We look forward to welcoming Europe in 2028, and to showcasing Scotland as the outward-looking and progressive country that we are.

Hosting international events often involves meeting certain requirements of commercial rights holders. The bill meets specific requirements that are set by UEFA, as the rights holder, and puts in place commercial rights protection measures. We have partly addressed that in discussing the stage 3 amendments. The bill does that by prohibiting the unauthorised sale of championship tickets at more than their face value or for profit. That will support fair access to tickets so that as many fans as possible can enjoy the matches. None of us wants match tickets to be sold at inflated prices. The bill will help to deter that and ensure that action can be taken if it happens.

The bill restricts unauthorised street trading and advertising within designated event zones. In doing that, we want to make things as easy as possible for those who are affected by event zones, which is why the bill makes sure that guidance will be in place and that street traders who cannot trade where they normally would will be offered alternative arrangements. Lastly, the bill provides enforcement powers to implement those protections effectively.

Those measures are consistent with the legislation that the Scottish Parliament passed for Scotland to host Euro 2020 matches. They are time limited, proportionate and targeted, and they will be repealed automatically on 31 December 2028.

In addition to those key areas, amendments that were agreed to at stage 2 have responded to points that the lead committee had made. They will ensure that the civic right to protest is specially protected and they will place a duty on the Scottish ministers to review the operation and effectiveness of the legislation. A report on the findings of the review will be laid before Parliament by the end of 2030. That will ensure that appropriate consideration of the bill’s impacts is provided to Parliament.

If the bill is passed today, we will continue to work with delivery partners to implement the provisions to deliver a successful Euro 2028. Glasgow City Council will issue guidance on trading and advertising measures and offer alternative arrangements for street traders who are affected by the restrictions. We will continue to work with partners to ensure that guidance is accessible and that businesses have the right information to help them to plan for the tournament.

Glasgow Life is developing its host city concept, including plans for fan zones and activation sites, for submission to UEFA later this year. We will work closely with partners to develop regulations relating to event zones where trading and advertising restrictions will apply, and we will continue to engage with businesses and communities as part of that. We will continue to look for opportunities to raise awareness of the bill’s provisions and the restrictions that will be in place.

We are working closely with the UK Government and other host nation Governments to ensure that our respective legislative approaches are joined up and effective.

As I said, Euro 2028 is a significant opportunity for Scotland economically, culturally and in terms of our reputation. We hope to see some exciting and iconic moments in Scotland at our famous Hampden park stadium and, hopefully, many of those iconic moments throughout the tournament will involve our national team. Passing the bill means that we can make that a reality. Members from across the chamber recognise the significant benefits of hosting Euro 2028, all the excitement that it will bring and the legacy that it can deliver. Together, we can ensure the successful delivery of the biggest sporting event ever, which will be jointly hosted across the UK and Ireland.

It gives me pleasure to urge members across the chamber to support the bill at decision time.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill be passed.