Foundation and task
Nationale Anti-Doping Agentur GmbH (NADA Austria) was established on 1 July 2008 as a Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (limited liability company) with its head office in Vienna and is a non-profit, independent anti-doping organization. The Anti-Doping Federal Act passed on 29 June 2007 (Anti-Doping-Bundesgesetz, Federal Law Gazette I no. 30/2007) established NADA Austria as an independent anti-doping organization mandated with combating doping in sport by means of doping control and prevention in accordance with international agreements.
The control functions include planning, conducting and monitoring doping control processes, instituting and conducting disciplinary actions, deciding on applications for therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs), and reporting on compliance with anti-doping rules.
The field of prevention comprises providing information and education and raising awareness about doping in sport at the top and professional levels and in popular sport. Target groups of preventive measures include athletes as well as people in the athletes' environment, in particular coaches, support personnel, medical staff, pharmacists, officials, parents and educators.
NADA Austria is active in four areas:
- Prevention and public relations;
- Doping control system;
- Medical field;
- Legal area.
NADA Austria works closely with all competent ministries, research centers, universities and scientists, includes all Austrian training organizations in its activities and promotes international cooperation. It supports and promotes cooperation in the fields of prevention and information with national sport federations, the Austrian Federal Sports Organization (BSO), the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) and the Sporthilfe organization.
NADA Austria's focus areas:
- Doping prevention measures;
- Anti-doping information and education;
- Monitoring compliance with funding prerequisites;
- Requesting and conducting testing;
- Instituting and conducting disciplinary proceedings;
- Decisions for the competent national federations.
Objectives
In accordance with the structure of its responsibilities, NADA Austria pursues two separate objectives intended to lead to the same result, i.e. doping-free sport.
NADA Austria's control functions are aligned with the goal of ensuring that sports are conducted fairly and impartially. Testing and possible sanctions exert strong pressure intended to prevent to a large extent the use of prohibited substances and prohibited methods as well as any development of a doping mentality among athletes. Through the establishment of and compliance with international standards, it is intended to achieve comparability of the performance of athletes of different nationalities under equal conditions.
The declared goal of NADA Austria's preventive work is to educate (promising) Austrian athletes to become doping-resistant, mature and responsible athletes. When tempted to dope, (prospective) top-level athletes should be aware of options and alternative actions and thus be able to decide against doping, in accordance with their free will and well-reflected opinion.