19/06/2020
US and EU Bishops Offer Prayers for USA-Russia Arms Control Meeting (EN)
Category Archives: EU External Affairs
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.
10/06/2020
COMECE-SECAM Joint Statement in view of the 6th EU-Africa Summit (EN)
Press Release
EU and African Bishops call for a people-centred, just and responsible partnership between our continents
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the European and the African Union are currently preparing for the 6th Summit of their political leaders. In this view, COMECE and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) have elaborated a joint contribution on the future EU-Africa partnership. At a time when the world has been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating consequences, the Presidents … Continue reading
NEWS
Future Eastern Partnership: COMECE supports a people-centred focus
In view of the June 2020 Eastern Partnership Summit, the EU presented a new set of long-term policy objectives for the relations with its six Eastern neighbours. COMECE commends the prioritisation of people-centred resilience in the new proposal. With the current Eastern Partnership (EaP) framework expiring at the end of 2020, the European Commission and the European External Action Service have recently proposed to focus … Continue reading
NEWS
New EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy: a stronger Europe in the world?
COMECE welcomes the EU’s priority actions proposed for the next five years in the global promotion of human rights and democracy, and calls on the EU institutions to increase their ambition in the protection of religious freedom and in the area of business & human rights. Elaborated by the European Commission and the European External Action Service, the EU draft policy document follows the expiration … Continue reading
Press Release
COMECE facilitates Albanian Church delegation’s visit to the EU
In the context of the current debate on the future of the EU enlargement process, COMECE received H.E. Mgr. George Frendo OP and H.E. Mgr. Gjergj Meta, respectively President and General Secretary of the Albanian Bishops’ Conference on 3-4 February 2020. They met with high-level representatives of the EU and of the Church to exchange on challenges and opportunities for Albania’s EU integration. The visit … Continue reading
Press Release
COMECE Presidency: “Brexit will not succeed in shattering EU-UK fraternal relations”
In the context of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the COMECE Standing Committee has elaborated a declaration on the topic. Although saddened by this event, the COMECE Standing Committee respect the will expressed by the British citizens during the 2016 Referendum and assure that, “even though the UK will no longer be part of the EU, it will still continue … Continue reading
News
Integral human development: how can the EU enhance partnerships with religious actors?
On Thursday 23 January 2020 COMECE hosted a dialogue meeting between Churches, faith-based actors, as well as international and European policy-makers, on how to enhance the cooperation among actors working in the field of integral and sustainable human development. Co-organised with Caritas Europa in the context of on-going negotiations on the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the meeting highlighted the important role of Churches and … Continue reading
News
How can the EU promote a fair and people-centered Eastern Partnership?
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. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership, COMECE elaborated its contribution on the future EU policy objectives with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. In dialogue with local Church authorities from … Continue reading
08/11/2019
Contribution of the COMECE Secretariat to the EU public consultation on the Eastern partnership (EN)