The EU started to develop a Common Foreign and Security Policy with the Maastricht Treaty (1992). Moreover, in recent years, the EU intensified efforts to promote Human Rights outside its borders and it has played a major role in International Trade and Development Aid. EU Enlargement continues to be an important pillar of EU’s External Policy. Since 2004 a specific Neighborhood Policy was elaborated to establish good relations with neighboring countries. In the hope that a united Europe can take a stronger role on the world stage, COMECE together with Justice and Peace Europe aims to assist the EU in its vocation to promote global peace and assume its responsibility for supporting sustainable development and social justice across the world. COMECE is assisted in this mission by a Commission on the External Relations of the European Union.
COMECE contributed to the EU public consultation on the future of the Eastern Partnership, providing recommendations addressing some of the key challenges in EU’s cooperation with its six neighbours.
The COMECE Commission on the EU External Relations gathered to discuss the future Foreign and Security Policy agenda of the renewed European institutions. COMECE reiterated the Church’s will to contribute to Europe’s global role for sustainable peace and integral human development.
On Friday 5thJuly 2019 COMECE welcomed Mr. Adriano Karipuna, indigenous leader from the Brazilian Amazon region, to discuss the challenges faced by local communities and to gather views ahead of the Bishop’s Synod for the Amazon, which will take place in Rome on 6-27 October 2019.
