Italy will host the Women's European Softball Championship ©Getty Images

The green light has been given to this year's European Softball Championships after dates for the tournaments were confirmed.

Ledenice and Sezimovo Ústí in the Czech Republic will host the Men's European Softball Championship between June 21 and 26, with the event offering two places at next year's World Baseball Softball Confederation Men's Softball World Cup in New Zealand.

Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulia region will then stage the Women's European Softball Championship from June 27 to July 3.

The winner of this event will qualify for the 2022 World Games in American city Birmingham.

Softball Europe has been working to restore international competitions across the continent, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It previously ruled that a competition could only be cancelled 45 days before the start of play.  

Teams are allowed to withdraw up to 30 days before the event begins, however.

Both the Czech Republic and Italy have confirmed that players will not have to quarantine to play in the respective European Championships, which were originally due to be held last year.

"Our goal is to host a safe event with no extra expenses of participating teams due to COVID," said Gabriel Waage, the President of both Softball Europe and Czech Softball, which will oversee the men's event.

"All organisers, members of participating teams and Softball Europe officials will be tested and the costs will be covered by Czech Softball."

The men's event currently sees the hosts joined by The Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, Croatia, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Lithuania and France.

Italy will so far be joined by The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Greece, Israel, Germany, Russia, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Denmark, Lithuania, Hungary and Bulgaria for the women's tournament.

Softball Europe has decided to cancel the 2021 Coed (Mixed) Slowpitch European Championship.