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General Regulations

1. Preamble

1.1. The EGOI is an international informatics competition for individual contestants from Europe and additional invited countries, accompanied by social and cultural programmes.

1.2. The EGOI is governed by these General Regulations. They are accompanied by an Addendum that gives further explication on the clauses in the General Regulations.

1.3. The EGOI should, if possible, be held once per calendar year in a European country (the Host Country). 

1.4. For the purpose of these regulations, “Europe” and “European” are defined in Addendum A.2.1.

1.5. The Host Country must specify the location, the registration deadline and procedure, the official start and end date, and the official arrival and departure sites of the EGOI and a Host Organisation. The Host Organisation is responsible for organising the EGOI in the Host Country.

1.6. The aims of the EGOI are the following:

  • To provide a platform for young women to enjoy and deepen their interest in Computer Science.
  • To encourage more young women to compete on an international level.
  • To discover and support gifted young women and to create female role models.
  • To promote European cultural exchange and foster friendly relationships among different countries, contestants, informatics educators, and computer scientists.

1.7. The official working language of the EGOI is English.

1.8. Revisions of the General Regulations are prepared and proposed by the International Committee (IC), see 2.6. A vote on a revision of the General Regulations is taken by the European countries in the General Assembly (GA), see 1.4 and 2.1. A revision to the General Regulations must be approved by a two-third majority of votes cast.

2. General Assembly and International Committee

2.1. The General Assembly (GA) is a temporary, short-term committee during an EGOI. It is composed of the team leaders and deputy team leaders of all participating countries during the EGOI. The GA is the owner of the EGOI.

2.2. GA meetings are chaired by the Chair of GA. The Chair of GA is selected by the Host Country in co-operation with the IC. The Chair of GA must have good English communication skills and extensive experience in chairing meetings. The Chair of GA does not represent any country and is required to act impartially.

2.3. The GA has to act in the spirit of these regulations. The tasks of the GA is to take decisions on issues not provided for in the Regulations, make recommendations to the IC (see 2.7), decide on proposals made by the IC, ratify Host Nomination and Selection, and elect individuals to serve on the IC.

2.4. The GA must hold at least the following meetings at an EGOI:

  • Before the first Competition Period and before the Competition Tasks are revealed to include the discussion of the Contest Rules and Judging Procedures.
  • Before the first Competition period to include the presentation and translation of the first Competition Tasks.
  • After the first Competition period and after Delegation Leaders have had the opportunity for communication with contestants, to include matters arising from the first Competition period and evaluation.
  • Before the second Competition period to include the presentation and translation of the second Competition Tasks.
  • After the second Competition period and after Delegation Leaders have had the opportunity for communication with contestants, to include matters arising from the second Competition period and evaluation.
  • Before the Awards Ceremony and after all evaluation is complete, to include the confirmation of awards.

The GA meetings that involve the presentation and translation of Competition Tasks are hereafter referred to as the translation sessions.

2.5. GA meetings should be attended by the team leaders and deputy team leaders, and the members of the IC. The GA meetings must not be attended by contestants.

2.6. The GA makes decisions by voting on issues. Unless stated otherwise, votes are resolved by a simple majority of votes cast. Every delegation of a European country always has one vote. Non-European countries have a vote on all issues that only affect the current EGOI. Notably, this includes votes on the competition problems.

2.7. The International Committee (IC) is a long-term standing committee that guarantees the continuity and quality for EGOI competitions. If needed and/or wanted by the Host Organisation, the IC should provide advice and/or recommendations.

2.8. The IC consists of five members. Three of these members are directly elected by the European countries in the GA (one per year for a three-year term). Candidates for this election must be proposed and seconded by two European countries. The other two members are representatives of host countries. These IC members have a two-year term. The term for the representative of EGOI’n starts at the end of EGOI’(n-1). If there are Future Hosts whose representatives are not yet eligible to be IC members, the IC is encouraged to invite these representatives to attend online IC meetings as observers.

2.9. IC members are individuals and not representatives of specific countries. The IC acts on behalf of the GA during the periods between EGOIs. During each EGOI the IC informs the GA about its activities during the year. The IC has to act in the spirit of these regulations.

3. Participants

3.1. Countries that want to participate in the EGOI should send an application to the Host Organisation. This application is due by the registration date as specified by the Host Organisation. The applications of countries which did not take part in the previous year of the EGOI have to be approved by the IC. Then, the Host Organisation will invite the approved countries. In case of capacity issues, priority is given to European countries in the order in which their applications were received.

3.2. Each invited country is entitled to send a National Delegation. All members of a National Delegation represent one Country. A National Delegation is composed of one to four contestants, a team leader, and may include a deputy team leader, and possibly guests. The number of allowed guests is based on the technical capacities of the Host Organisation.

3.3. The contestants of a National Delegation should be selected through that country’s national Olympiad in Informatics or an equivalent selection programme.

3.4. The contestants must be eligible as a contestant for the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) organized in the same year.

Participants must be female or non-binary. This includes transgender girls and women.

The EGOI acknowledges that non-binary people share many of the same experiences and challenges as girls and women. In light of that, they are welcome as participants.

If there is a dispute about the eligibility status of a contestant (notably, in case of suspicion of malicious intent to circumvent the rules), the IC has the power to make the final decision.

3.5. Team leaders and deputy team leaders are responsible for the conduct of their contestants. The team leaders and deputy team leaders are acting in loco parentis for their contestants except where the Host Organisation has been informed in writing that a guest has been nominated to act in loco parentis.

3.6. Team leaders and deputy team leaders must ensure that their contestants know and fully understand the Competition Rules which have binding force.

3.7. The Host Organisation may invite additional attendees, such as local committee members, the press, and guides.

3.8. Each invited country wishing to participate in an EGOI must confirm its participation in the way and by the date specified in the invitation. National Delegations and their travel details must be registered by dates specified by the Host Organisation.

3.9. The participants of an EGOI are the members of the IC, the members of the Host Organisation, and the members of the National Delegations.

4. Responsibilities of the Host Country and Host Organisation

4.1. The Host Organisation must create an Official Programme. The Official Programme must outline the itinerary for an EGOI and its associated events. The Official Programme contains details of accommodation arrangements, including meals, for the National Delegations and the venues for various official events associated with the EGOI. The Official Programme must be disclosed by the official start of an EGOI.

4.2. The Host Organisation covers all official expenses for participants, including accomodation, meals, and transport between the official arrival and departure sites and the accomodation sites, as well as other necessary transport between the accomodation sites and other venues on the Official Programme.

4.3. The Host Organisation is not liable under any circumstances for any costs or expenses other than the provision of accommodation, meals, and transport during the Official Programme as outlined in clause 4.2. In particular, the Host Organisation is not liable for any expenses derived from the following:

  • Spending additional days in the Host Country outside the official duration of the EGOI
  • Travelling to and from the Host Country
  • Travelling within the Host Country prior to arrival at the official arrival site or following the departure from the official departure site.

4.4. All participants are responsible for obtaining full accident, health, and travel insurance if desired. The Host Organisation is not liable for any expenses arising from failure to obtain such insurance.

4.5. The Host Organisation must offer opportunities to the National Delegations for excursions and/or cultural trips but is under no obligation to organise specific activities.

4.6. A Registration Fee may be charged to National Delegations. Additionally, a Participation Fee may be charged to non-European Countries. Moreover, an additional Guest Fee may be charged to National Delegations for each guest that accompanies the National Delegation.

4.7. The Host Organisation is obliged, by the end of an EGOI, to the following:

  • Issue attendance certificates for all participants
  • Issue awarding certificates for contestants who win medals or receive Honorable Mentions
  • Post official final results containing the final scores of the medal winning contestants
  • Post a list of participants
  • Produce a full result list containing the final scores of all contestants, which is made available to the IC, along with the data required to generate those scores
  • Hold an Awards Ceremony for the presentation of medals

4.8. The Host Organisation is obliged to produce a report of the EGOI which contains the statements of the Competition Tasks and their official solutions. A draft report and the statements of the Competition Tasks should be sent to the IC by no later than three months after the EGOI.

5. Competition and Judging

5.1. The Competition will take place during two Competition days both of which should generally be directly preceded and followed by a non-Competition day. On each Competition day, the contestants have to solve four tasks during five hours.

5.2. The Host Organisation should give the contestants the opportunity to practise on the competition equipment and technical environment, or comparable equipment, prior to the first Competition Day.

5.3. The Host Organisation must present Competition Procedures, Judging Procedures and Competition Tasks at appropriate meetings of the GA for approval. The team leaders and deputy team leaders shall be allowed to translate the approved Competition Procedures, Judging Procedures and Competition Tasks into their national languages. These translations must not include additional information and should remain faithful to the original text. All translated tasks must be made available for scrutineering, during the Competition Days, by all National Delegations during the EGOI.

5.4. The contestants are required to solve the Competition Tasks given to them, together with any translations and materials permitted by the Competition Procedures. The contestants must obey the Competition Procedures. Each contestant must work independently on a desk with an appropriate computer, writing instruments and paper.

5.5. Once they have seen the Competition Tasks, GA members and other persons must not communicate with contestants until the end of the Competition. This excludes members of the Host Organisation and the members of the IC acting officially. GA members and other persons must not discuss these Tasks with anyone who has not seen the Tasks until the start of the Competition.

5.6. Team leaders and deputy team leaders must be present for at least half of the competition on each Competition Day to translate into English any questions put by the contestants about the Competition Tasks.

5.7. Evaluation is to be carried out directly after the Competition in accordance with the Judging Procedures.

5.8. If the team leader or deputy team leader does not agree with the evaluation of a task element, the disagreements must be submitted according to the Judging Procedures.

5.9. Once all the disagreements are resolved according to the Judging Procedures, the contestants are awarded medals based on their final scores. The process of awarding medals is described in Section 6 of these Regulations.

5.10. In the event of unethical behaviour, including behaviour outside the contest, the IC is empowered to disqualify a contestant.

5.11. In the case of large-scale problems during the Competition, the Host Organisation is empowered to decide upon a solution. The Host Organisation must inform the IC and the GA of their decision. The decision can be overruled by a vote taken by all countries in the GA. A two-third majority of votes cast is needed for the vote to succeed.

6. Awards

6.1. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to the contestants so that approximately 50 percent of all European contestants receive a medal and the ratio of gold to silver to bronze medals is approximately 1:2:3. Additionally, Honorable Mentions are awarded to contestants who placed in the top half on some contest day but did not receive any medal.

The following clauses describe the process by which these awards are assigned.

6.2. Award boundaries for European contestants are determined as follows:

  • The score necessary to achieve a gold medal is the largest score such that at least one twelfth of all European contestants receive a gold medal.
  • The score necessary to achieve a silver medal is the largest score such that at least one quarter of all European contestants receive a gold or a silver medal.
  • The score necessary to achieve a bronze medal is the largest score such that at least one half of all European contestants receive a medal.
  • For each contest day separately, the score necessary to achieve a Honorable Mention is the largest score achieved by at least one half of European contestants on that day.

6.3. Disqualified European contestants are still counted as contestants for the purpose of determining the award boundaries in clause 6.2.

6.4. Non-European contestants, if any, are awarded medals and Honorable Mentions according to the score thresholds determined in clause 6.2. Note that the scores of non-European contestants are not taken into account when determining the score thresholds.

6.5. In case an unexpectedly large number of medals needs to be awarded to non-European contestants, the Host Organisation is permitted to award these medals after the official Award Ceremony.

7. Host Nomination and Selection

7.1. An official representative of a Country that is capable and willing to organise an EGOI in a particular year must submit a Letter of Intent to the IC. The IC will acknowledge the Letter of Intent. The Country becomes a Potential Host.

7.2. The IC performs a selection procedure and nominates a single candidate from the Potential Hosts for the EGOI in a specific year. This decision must be ratified by the GA. After ratification, the IC will issue a formal Invitation to host the EGOI.

7.3. A Candidate Host becomes a Future Host, after the Invitation to host the EGOI is accepted by the national organisation involved and confirmed in writing to the IC. The IC informs the GA at a GA meeting after this confirmation.

7.4. The Future Host becomes the Host Country in the year in which it hosts the EGOI.

Addendum

A.1. Preamble

A.1.1. The Addendum specifies and gives further information on the General Regulations.

A.2. European Countries

A.2.1. For the purposes of the EGOI the following countries are considered European Countries. The contestants who represent these countries are considered European contestants.

This list does not represent any political or religious statement.

European Countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.