Inside EHF: Nations Board and Nations Committees

The Nations Committee Men and the Nations Committee Women also represent the national team interests of the member federations, focusing on their namesake genders.

When and why was the Nations Board formed?

The Nations Board was first integrated into the EHF structure in 2010, before a reform in 2021 to ensure targeted focus on both men’s and women’s handball. It was in 2021 that those separate interests were attributed increased concentration and efforts through the introduction of the respective Nations Committees, and a broadening of the Nations Board responsibilities to encompass both genders.

The Nations Board replaced two former bodies: the National Team Committee and the National Team Board. As such, handball on a national level is a core responsibility of the Nations Board.

The current structure was catalysed by a need to equalise men’s and women’s handball. The goal of the initial motion, passed at the EHF Congress 2018 in Glasgow, was to reform the EHF bodies in order to ensure a balanced and harmonised system for both genders’ competitions.

With the bodies having been formed for the first time at the EHF Congress 2021, the groups are currently in their second iteration, with the most recent election held at the EHF Congress 2025.

What are the main tasks of the Nations Committees and the Nations Board?

The Nations Committee Men and Women serve member federations in the context of national teams, but specifically concentrated on the interests of men’s or women’s handball, respectively. The Nations Committees in turn represent their own arms of the game to the Nations Board.

The Nations Committees also have the task of electing three representatives each to the Nations Board, as well as two each to the Professional Handball Board, focused on men’s handball, and the Women’s Handball Board.

The Nations Board has the duty to work in the interests of emerging and established federations in order to ensure the overall development of European handball via national team matters. To achieve that, the Nations Board manage national team competition topics as well as general federation development issues.

The Nations Board also represents the interests of EHF member federations to the EHF Executive Committee. Part of that role involves analysing and developing input received prior to submitting proposals to the Executive Committee.

Who is on the Nations Committees and Nations Board, and how are they elected?

The six members of each Nations Committee are autonomous experts elected by EHF Congress.

The current Nations Committee Women:

• Pirje Orasson — chair

• Leonor Mallozzi — vice-chair

• Jelena Eric — member (EXEC nom. from 10/2026)*

• Rosen Dobrev — member

• Nodijalem Myaro — member

• Katalin Palinger — member

  *Elena Borrras Alcaraz (member until 06/2026)

The current Nations Committee Men:

• Ivan Sabovik — chair

• Vincent Gérard — vice-chair

• Mark Schober — member

• Stephen Neilson — member

• Radoslaw Wasiak — member

• Torsten Laen — member

The members of the Nations Board are elected from and by the Nations Committees. The total number of members is six, with a chairperson and deputy chairperson selected from among the elected members.

The current Nations Board:

• Mark Schober — chair

• Pirje Orasson — vice-chair

• Leonor Mallozzi — member

• Katalin Palinger — member

• Torsten Laen — member

• Stephen Neilson — member

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