No voices were raised or lecterns thumped, but there was an explosive and tense opening to this three-day international conference yesterday.

Juan Antonio Samaranch, defiantly chairing the conference with the wounded solemnity of a condemned man gnawing his final meal, was savaged by more vibrant powers as politicians and civil servants from Europe and the US emphatically chastised his organisation and urged it to divorce itself from the establishment of a new and independent agency for doping control worldwide. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was also rebuked for plans to include a sponsors representative on the executive of that agency.

After a tense morning session, the plot thickened in the afternoon when EU sports ministers openly accused the IOC of attempting to seize control of the proposed international anti-doping agency. IOC officials had decided to impose themselves as leaders of the agency before the conference opened - nominating Samaranch as president.

"We support a totally transparent world anti-doping organisation, but the IOC should not be that agency," said British sports minister Tony Banks, encapsulating the trend if not the vigour of the debate.

Upon hearing about the plan for high-level IOC involvement in the new body, the EU ministers withdrew and brief discussion among themselves ensued. Belgium's Phillippe Topagne spoke for the group when they returned.

"The European ministers stress they have the strongest reserve over the composition of the international anti-doping agency as presented in documents we have seen. We insist that this must be reconsidered."

The IOC director general, Francois Carrard, had told a lunchtime press briefing that the structure of the agency was a matter for discussion and that no decision would be taken until the end of the conference.

Banks wasn't mincing words now. He demanded the agency be put in the hands of the United Nations or World Health Organisation.

At a press conference later, Topagne revealed that the European ministers were also opposed to an IOC suggestion, in an unpublished working paper, that a sponsors representative be included on the executive of the new agency.

Under the IOC plan, the agency would be headed by Samaranch and would include three representatives of the IOC, International Federations, National Olympic Committees, three athletes, and a representative for the sponsors.

"We are totally opposed to this," said Topagne.

It was that sort of day for Samaranch. The Americans, the Danes, the Germans and the French came to bury him not to praise him. Even from within the ranks of his own committee there were rapier words which left their mark on his hide.

Samaranch sat through his scoldings. Yet even in the thick of the crowd he looked more and more isolated as each speech progressed. Amidst all the chaff around him the Olympic president radiated sullen defiance.

This World Conference on Doping was conceived as an instrument for applying moral force to the intractable problem of doping, but the burdensome weight of scandal hung over all proceedings yesterday.

Barry McCaffrey, the White House drug policy director spoke forcibly on the moral malaise of doping before identifying the moral weaknesses within the IOC which need to be addressed first.

It was McCaffrey's words which best conveyed the tone of the morning session, strongly hinting that Samaranch should resign following the Salt Lake City bribery scandal which has so far forced four IOC members to quit.

"The IOC must operate as a democratic and accountable public institution. Its procedures must be based on open books and records, open and recorded votes on issues and an elected membership that is accountable to the athletes and the community of nations," McCaffrey told the 600 delegates.

"Lack of accountability and the failure of leadership have challenged the legitimacy of this institution."

The IOC, deprived of its traditional moral plumage, is too weak to act as moral policeman just now, and yesterday all the verve and ideas were coming from outside. Responsibility for actions is way below saving one's skin on the list of moral imperatives.

What they said

"We need to restore our faith in the Olympic movement - at the moment it is sour and sullied. International sports bodies have responsibilities as well as rights. Their internal systems of organisation and elections must be based on democracy, accountability and honesty. The British government expects the IOC to clean up its act."

- Tony Banks, British Sports Minister

"The IOC must stress the importance of values - not the importance of its leaders."

- Elsebeth Gerner-Nielsen, Danish Culture Minister

"The IOC can only play a leading part if it becomes more transparent and deals thoroughly with the allegations of corruption . . . the IOC cannot discharge the functions which go with its role unless the instrument is completely overhauled and its finances are laid open."

- Otto Schily, German Interior Minister