European athletes returning from a two-year doping ban will have to wait an additional two years before they,re allowed to compete at their continental championships, European Athletics, the sport's governing body in Europe announced.

At its meeting after the conclusion of the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England, the European Athletics Council voted to impose a minimum two-year period of ineligibility from all European Championships beginning on the day a suspended athlete is cleared to compete by the IAAF after a doping suspension.

,,The Council has unanimously decided that competing in our championships represents a special privilege,o/oo said European Athletics President Hansjorg Wirz, ,,and that we must not allow the negative notoriety of the small number of athletes who cheat to spoil the experience or distract attention from those who follow the rules.o/oo

The new entry regulation applies to any athlete currently under suspension as well as to those who commit doping offenses in the future. The new regulation will not extend to entry into international invitational or national level competitions.

,,Our message is very clear and we will do what it takes to ensure the credibility of the sport and protect the health of athletes and young people,o/oo Wirz said, adding that his association will submit a proposal at the next meeting of the IAAF Congress requesting that the global governing body take a similar position for future world championships. The IAAF,s next Congress will take place in Osaka, Japan, in August prior to the next world championships.

European Athletics also announced that the next two editions of the European Athletics U23 Championships were awarded to Kaunas, Lithuania (2009) and Ostrava, Czech Republic (2011), while Novi Sad, Serbia, will host the continent,s 2009 Junior Championships.

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