Category Archives: Policy Areas

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COMECE Working Group on Migration and Asylum: focus on the African migration to the EU

COMECE Working Group on Migration and Asylum analysed the situation and challenges related to African migration to the EU, in the context of the new EU–Africa Partnership. Held on the 6th of December, the working group gathered representatives of Catholic organizations, experts from Bishops’ conferences and EU officials. The participants examined main migratory trends in Sub-Saharian countries, as well as some of North African realities, … Continue reading »

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COMECE contribution on Private Investment and Development

With the recently launched European External Investment Plan, traditional development cooperation seems to move from a donor-recipient relationship towards a fair and mutually beneficial partnership. In this context, COMECE has published its assessment and some concrete policy recommendations. In the context of the recent 5th AU-EU Summit and the upcoming EU-ACP negotiations on the future of their relations, the Secretariat of COMECE elaborated a contribution … Continue reading »

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COMECE Social Affairs Commission: reflection on the future of work

COMECE Social Affairs Commission and Catholic-inspired organisations exchanged with experts and EU officials on the transformative shift undergoing in the world of work. During the two-days meeting, under the presidency of Bishop Gianni Ambrosio, participants focused on the ways digitalisation and other trends are shaping the European labour market and impacting the dignity of workers. Based on the discussion with the invited speakers – including … Continue reading »

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Abidjan Summit: towards a new authentic mutual partnership?

Political leaders of the European Union met with their counterparts from the African Union in Abidjan to reinforce their partnership and focus on the «Youth» of both continents. Together with African Bishops (SECAM), COMECE followed the 5th AU-EU Summit, a key moment to strengthen the ties between the two continents on the basis of a fair and authentic mutual partnership. In their joint statement published … Continue reading »

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Eastern partnership: towards dialogue and stronger cooperation?

EU Heads of State and political representatives met with their counterparts from the six Eastern European countries in Brussels to review their partnership. They pledged to strengthen cooperation and to engage in a comprehensive and forward-looking dialogue. The participants of the 5th Eastern Partnership Summit reaffirmed “the importance of inclusive engagement of all parts of society” as key to address common challenges to human security, … Continue reading »

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Syriac-Catholic Patriarch visits COMECE

A high-level delegation of bishops from the Middle East visited COMECE and met with Christian organisations to talk about the condition of Christian minorities in Syria and Iraq. His Beatitude Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Syriac-Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, together with Mgr. Antoine Chahda, Archbishop of Aleppo, highlighted the dramatic situation of Syrian and Iraqi people, shattered since many years with widespread violence. The two bishops … Continue reading »

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COMECE contribution to the planned EU Strategy for Iraq

COMECE welcomes the commitment of the EU to elaborate a Strategy for Iraq and submits recommendations to policy-makers to support Iraqi people in rebuilding their country. As part of the worldwide network of the Catholic Church, COMECE is in regular contact with Iraqi Bishops. In close dialogue with them, COMECE elaborated a contribution to the planned “EU Strategy for engagement with Iraq” with an analysis … Continue reading »

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Mediterranean Sea: Migrants and refugees should be protected at all stages of their journey

According to a recent report published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), almost 3,000 migrants and asylum seekers died attempting treacherous boat crossings to Europe so far this year. For COMECE, “migrants and refugees should be protected at all stages of their journey.” Despite the EU efforts to address the challenges of the migration crisis on the basis of its European Agenda, migrants and … Continue reading »