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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Lewis McKenzie

Euro 2020 ticket touts to be outlawed as Scots politicians vote for legal crackdown

MSPs have passed legislation to crackdown on ticket touts at Euro 2020 .

It comes ahead of four matches being played at Hampden during the tournament in 2020, which is being joint-hosted by 12 cities including Glasgow , London and Munich.

Members voted unanimously to pass the Uefa European Championship (Scotland) Bill at Holyrood on Tuesday.

The Scottish Government's Europe Minister, Ben Macpherson, hailed the benefits to the country of hosting part of the tournament and outlined the intention of the legislation.

Ticket touting will be considered a criminal offence under the new legislation (UEFA via Getty Images)

"We look forward to welcoming Europe to our shores next summer and showcasing Scotland as the outward looking, progressive and diverse country we are," he said.

"The benefits of bringing Euro 2020 to Scotland will be significant, not just for our economy but for our international reputation, too.

"Hosting international events often involves meeting certain requirements of the rights-holder and the Bill that we have been considering seeks to ensure the successful delivery of Euro 2020 in line with the requirements of Uefa for all 12 host cites."

He added: "The legislation will protect commercial rights in relation to ticket touting, street trading and advertising, and also contains measures in relation to the enforcement of those commercial protections."

As part of the Bill, ticket touting will be made a criminal offence.

Macpherson added: "The proposals on ticket touting have been broadly supported and we are determined to support fair access to tickets so that as many fans as possible can enjoy the matches.

"To that end, the Bill will make ticket touting for championship matches a criminal offence."

Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton urged the Scottish Government to ensure local communities in Glasgow, particularly near Hampden Stadium, were catered to during the tournament.

The Scottish Government's Europe minister said that the competition will be beneficial for the economy and the international reputation of Scotland (Getty Images)

She said: "We hope it will be a huge success if we bring everyone along in the process.

"Communities in central Glasgow are counting on the city council and the Scottish Government to ensure that everything is in place to ensure that the operation is slick and efficient, and we cannot let them down.

"I thank them for being so supportive in the evidence process in this Bill.

"I hope to the Euro 2020 championships are a roaring success and it will be fantastic to see Glasgow buzzing with the lively atmosphere like the one we saw in 2014 for the Commonwealth Games ."

Labour's Claire Baker said the championship being hosted in Glasgow could continue Scotland's relationship with the rest of Europe following Brexit.

She said: "International events which bring people together through sport are important for fostering co-operation and understanding, and recognise our continuing place in Europe."

Green MSP Ross Greer raised concerns about the possible effect on small businesses, suggesting they could be limited in their ability to operate during the tournament in favour of Uefa's sponsors.

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