The Steiner Commission report was published on the DOSB website today and comes following details of a study carried out by the German Institute of Sport and initiated by the DOSB, which were released last year claiming that systemic doping had been prevalent in German sport for three decades from the 1950s through until the 1970s.

The study last year suggested that West German athletes took part in systemic doping programmes that included members of the 1954 FIFA World Cup winning squad receiving injections of the methamphetamine pervitin, while some of the 1966 World Cup squad also took banned substances.

It also alleged that performance enhancing drugs were used more than 1,200 times by athletes competing at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games where West Germany won 39 medals including 10 gold.

It also claimed state-sponsored research programmes were carried out into performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids, testosterone, oestrogen and erythropoietin (EPO).

Following the claims in the study, then DOSB President Thomas Bach - now International Olympic Committee (IOC) President - appointed Steiner to lead an independent Commission to evaluate the study and come up with recommendations on how to improve the fight against doping.

IOC President and Montreal 1976 gold medal winner Thomas Bach set up the Steiner Commission when he was in charge of the DOSB ©AFP/Getty Images



The Steiner Commission completed its investigation in April and the DOSB has published the report today.

The Commission has called for a more vigorous approach to tackling doing in sport by strengthening the powers of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), greater sanctions for offenders, better anti-doping education for athletes and greater cooperation between international and national federations.

"We thank Professor Steiner and members of the Commission for their work," said DOSB President, Alfons Hörmann.

"The DOSB Bureau will discuss the final report and the recommendations in the coming sessions and take the necessary steps to implement [them]."

DOSB director general, Michael Vesper added: "It's all about concrete steps, notably the strengthening of the NADA, the comprehensive development of prevention and to support the athletes inside, to make them resistant against doping, as well as for national and international harmonisation of anti-doping activities.

"Especially with regard to the latter the clear statement of the Commission is to be welcomed that the arbitration, for the competent, prompt and consistent decision of conflicts of law in national and international sports space is indispensable."

German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle failed a drugs test at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images



Communist controlled East Germany had long been suspected of operating state controlled doping programmes for its athletes prior to German reunification in 1990.

At Sochi 2014, biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle became the first athlete to fail a drugs test during the Games when she tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine.

A revised World Anti-Doping Agency Code is due to come into effect on January 1 next year which will see more stringent sanctions imposed for doping violations, including a doubling of bans for athletes who fail tests for the first time from two to four years and greater sanctions for accomplices such as coaches and team-mates.

The changes have been implemented following an 18-month consultation process and were confirmed at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg last November.

The Steiner Commission report can be viewed here.

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