PARIS - Helsinki was unanimously awarded the 2012 European Athletics Championships on Monday by the European Athletics Council at a meeting in Barcelona.

PARIS - Helsinki was unanimously awarded the 2012 European Athletics Championships on Monday by the European Athletics Council at a meeting in Barcelona.

The championships in Helsinki, which has hosted them twice before - in 1971 and 1994 - will run from June 27 to July 1 and will not include the marathon or the walks.

"We are very pleased to confirm that Helsinki will be the hosts of the European Athletics Championships in 2012," said European Athletics president Hansjörg Wirz.

"Athletics is a hugely popular sport in Finland and today we have been assured that we can look forward to a fantastic event. There are some conditions to be fulfilled and we will work hard together with the host broadcaster, the local organising committee, the city and the European Broadcasting Union to make sure these are dealt with to all parties' satisfaction and that the 2012 championships are successful," he said.

Finland Athletics Federation president Antti Pihlakoski was delighted.

"This is a fantastic day for the city of Helsinki, the Finnish Athletics Federation and the country of Finland and I am very pleased that we are able to host this prestigious championships for a third time," Pihlakoski said.

European Athletics has set a deadline of December 15 for an agreement to be reached on broadcasting issues.

The 2010 European Athletics Championships will take place in Barcelona from July 26 to August 1. - Sapa-AFP