Fencing is among the Olympic sports which has opted to allow a return for Russian and Belarusian athletes as individual neutrals under certain conditions, making its decision even before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued its updated recommendations in March.

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) has claimed it "does not feel athletes should be prevented from competing solely on the basis of which passport they hold", but has acknowledged Russian and Belarusian involvement at the European Games in Poland, which neighbours Ukraine, is "impossible".

Kraków-Małopolska 2023 is set to serve as a qualification opportunity for Paris 2024 in 19 Olympic sports on the programme.

But, with Russian and Belarusian athletes excluded, the FIE has dropped the qualifier status for individual fencing events at the Games, and instead plans to organise a European Championships in October.

Team competitions are set to remain as Paris 2024 qualifiers, with Russian and Belarusian teams barred from international events under the IOC's recommendations.

A letter from European Fencing Confederation (EFC) Giorgio Scarso to the continental body's Executive Committee members, seen by insidethegames, confirmed the FIE Executive Committee had taken the decision at its latest meeting.

"The FIE Comex has unanimously decided to consider valid for the Olympic qualification the team competitions, however, after a heated debate the FIE Comex has decided, with only three votes against, not to recognize valid for the Olympic qualification the individual competitions," the Italian official wrote.

"The decision came after an extensive debate during which I tried in every way to make consider the possibility of postponing this decision until after the Games have taken place, and this to give greater value to the European Games and to seize the opportunity of any developments that could arise from the next decisions of the IOC."

An individual European Championships is set to be organised with FIE contribution in October instead, with a decision on whether to freeze the rankings from Pan American, Asian and African continental Games postponed until the next FIE Executive Committee meeting.

The EOC told insidethegames it was not yet aware of a change to the status of fencing events at Kraków-Małopolska 2023.

"The EOC has not been officially informed of any updates to the Olympic Qualification System status of the fencing competitions at the forthcoming European Games," it told insidethegames.

"The EOC will study any proposals carefully and remains fully focused on the success of Kraków-Małopolska 2023, with the expectation that Europe’s best fencers will be present."

insidethegames has also asked the FIE for a comment.

Scarso was elected as EFC President in October, succeeding Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov who was deposed following his conduct in light of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He had encouraged Russian athletes to fight in the war against Ukraine.

Pozdnyakov's daughter Sofia Pozdniakova, the women's sabre Olympic champion, is among the Russian fencers blocked from FIE competitions because of the IOC's recommendations not to allow athletes affiliated to the military or supporting the war in Ukraine.

The FIE's decision to allow the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes at its events has proved highly divisive, and several events in Europe have been cancelled.

Fencing events at the European Games are scheduled for June 25 to 30 at the Tauron Arena Kraków.

The sport is set for its second appearance at the Games, having featured at Baku 2015