Four weeks after Greece’s national soccer squad won the Euro 2004 championships, top government officials yesterday pledged to press ahead with new draft legislation to curb crowd violence at sports matches.

At a meeting between Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis, Justice Minister Anastassios Papaligouras and Deputy Culture Minister for Sports Giorgos Orfanos, it was agreed that the new bill will be the first to be tabled in Parliament, after the house’s full session opens on September 1.

“The government is determined to tackle the matter,” Voulgarakis said. “Conditions are most propitious, as the national squad’s victories contributed to a positive mood.”

The bill will provide for stiffer penalties for misbehaving fans, and is expected to force clubs to install surveillance cameras in soccer grounds.