Executive Committee set to meet in Bilbao

A hectic year of UEFA Executive Committee activity comes to a close on Thursday with the body's last gathering of 2013 in Bilbao, Spain.

The year has seen the Executive Committee, chaired by UEFA President Michel Platini, set the course for an eagerly anticipated UEFA EURO 2020 – the "EURO for Europe" to be staged in 13 cities across the continent. A total of 32 member associations declared an interest in hosting matches at the 2020 UEFA European Championship. The committee has also overseen further preparations for UEFA EURO 2016 in France. In addition, among its many decisions, the committee paved the way for tougher punishment and concerted action against the negative phenomena of racism, match-fixing and doping.

An update will be given to the Executive Committee in Bilbao on the work that is continuing apace for UEFA EURO 2016, which will be held at ten venues in France between 10 June and 10 July 2016. Recent developments have included the launch of the event logo and tournament slogan – Le Rendez-Vous – as well as the passing of 1,000 days until the final round. The UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying draw takes place in Nice, France, on 23 February next year.

The hosts for the 2014 UEFA Futsal Cup finals will also be named. Since the four-team final tournament was introduced in 2006/07, host cities have been Murcia (Spain), Moscow (Russia), Ekaterinburg (Russia), Lisbon (Portugal), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Lleida (Spain) and Tbilisi (Georgia).

Approval will be sought for the competition regulations for the 2014/15 UEFA Regions' Cup – UEFA's popular competition for regional amateur teams. The UEFA Regions' Cup will be staged for a ninth time in 2014/15 following a successful 2013 final round in Veneto, Italy, last June.

UEFA's headquarters, the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland, will play host to the first meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee next year, on 23/24 January.