WADA executives meet in Canada to consider 2010 prohibited substances list

The World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Executive Committee will meet on September 19, 2009, for the second time this year at the Agency's headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

In the lead-up to this meeting, WADA's President John Fahey will hold a press conference call on Thursday, September 17, at 11:00 am EST (Montreal time) to respond to journalists' questions about current issues.

As it is traditionally the case at its September meeting, the Executive Committee will consider the 2010 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List) for approval.

The Prohibited List is revised annually through a highly consultative process, beginning with the circulation of a draft List among more than 1,700 stakeholders. Comments received are considered by WADA's List Committee, who then presents its conclusions to WADA's Health, Medical and Research Committee.

The latter in turn submits its final recommendations to the Executive Committee, who discusses the recommendations and makes a final decision at its September meeting.
(Click here for more information on the process for preparing the List.)

The 2010 List will be published by October 1, 2009, and will come into force on January 1, 2010.

Among other topics to be addressed at the meeting, Executive Committee members will also approve scientific research projects for funding, which is also done annually at the September meeting.

WADA's Scientific Research Grant Program, one of the Agency's chief priorities, is dedicated to developing new and improved means for detecting performance-enhancing substances and methods.

Since 2001, WADA has committed more than US$ 44 million to advancing the science of anti-doping.