In February 2007 the ICC European Development Program announced a new panel of referees who are eligible to officiate at ICC European tournaments and matches. The panel comes after ten years of Europe supplying only UK based referees and is now able to use the experienced resources within ICC's 27 European members.

Within the panel is a smaller Elite Referee Panel made up of five of Europe's most experienced referees. These referees are eligible to officiate at the top ICC regional events such as the ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Qualifiers, Under 19 World Cup Qualifiers and Women's World Cup Qualifiers.

The panel was selected by the ICC European Officials Selection Committee (EOSC) from a list of nominees submitted by the Country Boards. The two panels will be reviewed at the end of each season giving each Country Board the opportunity to add new names to their nomination list. This review process also allows the EOSC to review the performance of existing members and to promote (and demote) where applicable.