28/05/2020
COMECE Social Affairs Commission’s statement “Let Europe recover through justice” (EN)
Category Archives: Social & Economic Affairs
In 1957 the six founding nations of the European Economic Community set out to create a common market with a common competition and trade policy. This project remains central to the European Union.
Under the terms of the Maastricht Treaty a monetary union dimension was added to the project. Today, the Treaty of the European Union requires in art 3,3 the EU to become “a highly competitive social market economy”.
COMECE has welcomed the inclusion of this goal and recommended balancing responsibility and solidarity in the Euro zone.
The COMECE Secretariat follows socio-ethical questions raised by the process of European integration in the field of social and economic policy.
COMECE is assisted in this mission by a Commission on Social Affairs.
Press Release
The COMECE Social Affairs Commission releases statement on proposed EU recovery plan
In the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic and its dramatic effects on all EU Member States, on Thursday 28 May 2020 the COMECE Social Affairs Commission releases the statement “Let Europe recover through justice”, giving the contribution of the Catholic Church to the proposed EU recovery plan. Mgr. Hérouard: “The EU has the opportunity to take an important step forward in asserting and expressing … Continue reading
Press Release
Catholic NGOs and COMECE on human rights violations in a globalised economy
In the follow up of the Future of Work Reflection, on 27-28 January 2020 COMECE hosted a 2-day capacity-building seminar gathering Catholic-inspired organisations to discuss possible ways to improve people’s working conditions in the global value chain. The event comes after two years of work in which Catholic grassroot organisations and Christian social movements collected cases of human rights violations in the globalized economy. Based … Continue reading
NEWS
What is the link between Tax Justice and Poverty?
COMECE, together with the Jesuit Provincial Conferences from Europe and Africa, held a conference on Wednesday 11 December 2019 on the link between “Tax justice and poverty”. Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto: “taxes should be thesteering wheel of the economy towards ecological and social justice”. The event gathered selected representatives of the EU Commission, Church and civil society, experts on fair taxation in Europe and Africa, … Continue reading
NEWS
COMECE Social Affairs Commission discuss key policy areas for a just ecological transition
Under the chairmanship of H.E. Mgr. Antoine Hérouard, the COMECE Social Affairs Commission gathered in Brussels on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 November 2019 to exchange views on key EU challenges towards integral ecology and a just transition. The meeting was held in dialogue with EU representatives, experts and Church inspired organisations. During the event, experts delegated by EU Bishops’ Conferences, as well as by … Continue reading
Press Release
2019 World Day of the Poor COMECE and Caritas Europa encourage the EU to address the structural causes of poverty
On the occasion of the World Day of the Poor, which will be celebrated on Sunday 17 November 2019, COMECE and Caritas Europaencourage the European institutions and the Member States to enhance their social policies in order to combat the structural causes of poverty, promoting integral human development and putting an end to poverty in the EU. According to recent statistics, nearly a fifth of … Continue reading
01/10/2019
COMECE recommendations on the simplification of Erasmus+ (EN)
NEWS
The COMECE Social Affairs Commission explore future priorities
Experts of EU Bishops’ Conferences gathered in Brussels on Wednesday 26 June 2019 to participate in the COMECE Social Affairs Commission. They exchanged views on future Church’s contributions to EU social policies in the renewed institutional setting following the May 2019 elections of the European Parliament. Participants analysed the results of the elections across the EU, addressed the challenges of political fragmentation to a more … Continue reading
NEWS
Work-Life Balance: an important step towards family-centered society
COMECE welcomes the new EU rules on Work-Life Balance allowing parents and carers to better reconcile their work and family lives. The agreement, which comes after three years of negotiations between the EU institutions, introduces minimum rules on paternity leave and supports EU citizens providing care to family members in need of assistance. In a changing world of work and a demographic shift towards an … Continue reading
NEWS
Conference “Shaping the Future of Work”. Towards a decent, sustainable and participative world of work
During the COMECE-organised interreligious conference “Shaping the Future of Work” held at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 27 November, Mgr. Antoine Hérouard, President of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission, officially presented the reflection on the changes in the labour world, encouraging the EU to shape the digital and ecological transformations Result of a one-year long process of consultation and dialogue started in … Continue reading