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Education & Culture, Policy Areas, Press

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International Summer School Seggauberg 2007 European Cultures: The Challenges of Diversity and Unity

The 8th COMECE Summer School will take place from June 30th to July 14th, 2007. Since 2006 the Summer School is a joint activity of COMECE with the Karl-Franzens University of Graz and the diocese of Graz-Segau. Eighty students from thirty countries will participate. They will follow lectures and seminars organized at Seggau Castle, near Graz. Dr. Egon Kapellari, the Bishop of Graz-Seckau and delegate … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

News

Global Governance Assessment 2006 of COMECE « Missed Opportunities and New Perspectives »

“Missed opportunities and new perspectives” is the title given to the 2006 Annual Assessment on Global Governance published by the Secretariat of the Commission of Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE). This 26 page document was produced in cooperation with Dr. Charlotte Kreuter Kirchhof. It deplores the missed chances for improving Global Governance in the course of 2006 – the suspension of the WTO … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Policy Areas, Press

News

Advanced Therapies at any cost?

Press declaration on the plenary vote of the European Parliament on the Regulation on Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (Mikolášik-report) on 25 April 2007. Mgr. Noel Treanor, Secretary General of COMECE, expressed his disappointment about the result of the vote in the European Parliament regarding the Regulation on Advanced Therapies: „In fundamental ethical issues touching on the inviolability and the dignity of human life, it is … Continue reading »

Plenary Assembly, Press

News

Message of Rome: COMECE European Congress Values and Perspectives for Europe 50 years of the Treaties of Rome

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, more than 400 delegates of Bishops’ Conferences, religious orders and congregations, Catholic organisations and movements, and members of other Churches met in Rome from 23 to 25 March 2007. At the invitation of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community they took part in a European Congress, … Continue reading »

Plenary Assembly, Press

News

Congress of COMECE in Rome, 23rd-25th march 2007: Values and Perspectives for Europe’s future

COMECE – the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community – will organise a Congress in Rome to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signature of the Treaties of Rome, which founded the European Communities. Some 400 participants from all over Europe will attend. During the meeting, Christians will identify their own key values and confirm those values which have defined the European … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Policy Areas, Press

News

EU Legislation on Advanced Therapies: Ethical issues may not be excluded

On 30 January 2007, the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the draft report by Mr Mikolasik (EPP, Slowakia) on the proposal for a regulation on “Advanced Therapies”. Mgr. Treanor, Secretary General of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community acknowledged the benefits of a uniform procedure for advanced therapies, whilst underlining that ethical issues may not be excluded. … Continue reading »

Press

News

The European Union needs common values

Churches meet German EU presidency. Conversation with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Churches have a specific role in the European integration process, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated during a meeting with representatives from German and European churches this Monday. Churches in Europe are closely linked with each other through their numerous ecumenical contacts and European umbrella organisations. This makes them important partners in their national … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Policy Areas, Press

News

Adoption of the 7th Research Framework Programme

On the occasion of the final adoption of the 7th Research Framework Programme on 18 December and of the Specific Research Programmes on 20 December 2006, Mgr. Noel Treanor, Secretary General of COMECE, made the following statement: We regret that we cannot welcome wholeheartedly the adoption of the 7th Research Framework Programme and the complementary specific research programmes. We welcome the broad variety of important … Continue reading »

Press

News

Values: key to putting the Human Person at the Heart of the European Project

This Monday, 11 December 2006, Bishop van Luyn, President of COMECE, has sent a contribution of the Member Bishops of COMECE entitled “Common values – the living source of the European project” to the leaders of the EU Institutions. In view of the political declaration on the values and ambitions of Europe which the European Heads of State and Government and the presidents of the … Continue reading »

Policy Areas, Press, Youth policies

News

Young Europeans speak about the values held by Europe

On Monday 27 November last, the “Comité des Sages” (Committee of Wise Persons) set up by the COMECE bishops, met for the second time at the COMECE Secretariat in Brussels. Nine young Europeans aged between 25–30, coming from Romania, Germany, Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, France, Poland and the UK, were invited to present the ethical values that they believed essential for continuing the construction of Europe, … Continue reading »