A report on event, which would bring Europe into line with the other continents who already stage their own Games, has been undertaken by Deloitte and was presented at the European Olympic Committees (EOC) at its General Assembly in Sochi this week.

"There is a very good feeling in the Deloitte Report and we think we have a runner here," EOC President Patrick Hickey told insidethegames.

"We will send it to all the NOCs (National Olympic Committees) within two weeks.

"They will have six weeks to evaluate it and write into us with their comments.

"Then on the 12th of April at Moscow in the middle of the ANOC (Association of National Olympic Committees) General Assembly we will have an extraordinary general meeting with only one item on the agenda.

"That will be the European Games.

"The NOCs will have to tell us whether to proceed or not."

Hickey is confident, though, that the Games, which are backed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacuqes Rogge, will be given the go-ahead and has set a target of 2015 to launch them. 

"We haven't negotiated with specific cities [about staging the event] but cities have expressed interest.

"We are not planning a straight imitation of an Olympic Games and we are running on the basis of cities that already have infrastructure in place and where no construction is necessary because we don't want to be putting burdens on people.

"Deloitte have indicated that there are up to 50 countries in Europe that could host these Games."

Hickey also wants to limit the number of sports on the programme to 15 or 16, including two or three non-Olympic events, so as not to put too much stress on cities hosting the event. 

"We don't want to ape a huge gigantic Asian Games [where 10,000 competes compete in 42 sports]," he said.

"We want to do something different, something European."

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