LONDON (AP) -World Cup bidders are allowed to provide gifts of ``incidental value'' to FIFA voters, according to rules of conduct made public for the first time by soccer's governing body.
FIFA published the regulations on its Web site after it emerged that the England bid team for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments had given luxury handbags valued at about $380 each to the 24 executive committee members.
The bid team maintained it acted within the ``spirit and letter of the law.''
There is no spending limit in the rules. They state that inducements are banned ``except for occasional gifts that are generally regarded as having symbolic or incidental value and that exclude any influence on a decision in relation to the bidding process.''
FIFA said Friday the rules were published to make the bidding process transparent.
The document also reveals bid teams can't offer any ``opportunity, promise, remuneration or service'' to individuals connected with the process.
Bidders are also warned against unfair collaboration with any other national association or third party ``with a view to unfairly influencing the outcome of the bidding process.''
Any violations of the rules can be reported to FIFA's ethics committee.
FIFA will decide the 2018 and 2022 hosts in December 2010. The United States, England, Australia, Russia and Japan plus joint proposals from Belgium-Netherlands and Spain-Portugal are bidding for either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Qatar and South Korea have applied only for the 2022 tournament.
