Bars, Pubs Warned to Get Licenses for Euro 2012
Institutions planning to show this summer's European Football Championship finals on their big screen TVs should make sure they get the proper licenses from UEFA, the Football Association and Performers Association have said.
In a joint press release, designed to get the word out about the requirements, the associations are directing pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, local governments and anyone else planning a public showing of the games to apply for a license via the UEFA website before the May 18 deadline.
Football Association spokesman Mihkel Uiboleht told ERR News that while his organization is not directly involved in the licensing, they wanted to make sure that Estonians know about their legal obligations regarding the event. To call attention to the issue, they are giving out T-shirts and other prizes to early license applicants.
However, as one radio sports journalist pointed out, locals may be stymied by the fact that the licensing rules are quite complicated and UEFA has only made them available in English.
Many smaller businesses will be off the hook, since UEFA has an exemption for those who have screens less then three meters in diagonal, a capacity of fewer than 150 visitors and there is no sponsorship or admission fee involved.
Those that don't meet those terms will have to fork over 35 to 65 euros per square meter of screen space.
Urmas Ambur, managing director of the Performers Association, said he didn't know of anyone who would actually be enforcing the licensing requirement during the June-July finals, and that it would be up to UEFA itself to make complaints to Estonian authorities.
Steve Roman