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.
EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Churches and faith-based organisations elaborate on resilience

COMECE hosted a meeting on resilience, a notion that has become increasingly important in the discourse on the European peace and security policy. 25 representatives of Churches and faith-based organisations reflected jointly on this concept and on ways of putting it into practice. From COMECE’s perspective, the human being, family and local community should build the primary focus of EU’s resilience-fostering efforts. By pursuing a … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, International Religious Freedom, Policy Areas, Press

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National Council of Churches of Kenya visits COMECE

COMECE received a delegation from the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) led by its General Secretary Rev. Canon Peter Karanja. The delegation came to Brussels to draw attention to the fragile political situation in Kenya ahead of the upcoming national elections In cooperation with the Catholic Church in Kenya, NCCK is closely monitoring the political processes during and after the elections slated for … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

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Fostering resilience for sustainable peace

COMECE together with Justice&Peace Europe and Pax Christi International submitted a contribution to the forthcoming Joint Communication from the EU High Representative and the European Commission on resilience. The contribution entitled “Fostering resilience for sustainable peace” provides reflections and 10 concrete proposals for implementing resilience – one of EU’s strategic priorities. While welcoming the prioritisation of resilience in EU’s Global Strategy, the COMECE contribution puts … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

Press Release

Reactions of Cardinal Marx on Pope Francis’ speech to the Heads of State and Government of the EU

Pope Francis received the Heads of State and Government of 27 EU Member States on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. In his speech, he called on them to discern “the paths of hope, identifying specific ways forward to ensure that the significant steps taken thus far have not been wasted, but serve as the pledge of a long and … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

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How to implement a global concept of defence?

COMECE organised a roundtable debate on the possibilities to better articulate civilian and military aspects of a global concept of defence. 25 stakeholders from European External Action Sevice, EU Military Staff, European Commission, European Parliament as well as NATO, UN and from the humanitarian field discussed the opportunities to strengthen the coherence of civil-military relations at the European level. In the light of the current … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, International Religious Freedom, Policy Areas, Press

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African Bishops´ Conference visits COMECE

Africa and Europe are bound together by history, geography and a common destiny. They also share a community of values on which the Bishops from Africa and Europe wish to build. To mark this close relationship, COMECE received a delegation from the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) led by its President, H.E. Gabriel Mbilingi, Archbishop of Lubango (Angola). The Vice-President of … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

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Whose Security? Whose Defence?

COMECE participated in a conference on “The European Defence of Europe?” organised by Egmont – Royal Institute for International Relations. The objective of the conference was to discuss with EU policy-makers, NATO representatives and academics the strategic questions of European defence cooperation and the development of appropriate capabilities. COMECE supports the view that reinforced security and defence measures can only be considered a partial response … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

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Colombia: from child soldiers to peace-builders

The armed conflict in Colombia has persisted for more than 50 years. The result is: 260.000 people killed and 8 Mio. victims, most of them civilians. Moreover, many children have been forcibly recruited as soldiers and suffered serious physical and psychological harm. The Salesians of Don Bosco are helping them to re-integrate into society. They shared this example of good practice of placing the human … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Policy Areas, Press

NEWS

Justice and Peace Europe: “Nonviolence is the key to peace”

COMECE hosted a Prayer & Breakfast organised by Justice & Peace Europe on the theme of Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Peace “Nonviolence: a style of politics for peace”. The event was presided by Mgr. Jean-Claude Hollerich, the President of Justice&Peace Europe and gathered around 40 participants from the EU institutions, churches and civil society. In his reflection, Mgr. Hollerich recalled that … Continue reading »