Category Archives: Press

Plenary Assembly, Press

Press Release

COMECE Spring Plenary Assembly: European Bishops to meet ahead of the 2019 EU elections

Delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union will gather in Brussels on 13-15 March to participate in the 2019 COMECE Spring Plenary Assembly, with the announced participation of Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission. From 23-26 May 2019, all EU citizens across the continent will have to elect the new members of the European Parliament. The results will condition the political decisions … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Press

NEWS

COMECE welcomes some new EP steps towards a stronger transparency

The European Parliament recently introduced new internal rules concerning transparency in its interaction with “interest representatives”. The changes entered into force on 11 February 2019. COMECE supports transparency of EU institutions, allowing citizens to better assess processes leading to the laws governing them. This is key to accountability and exemplarity, especially in view of the May 2019 EU Elections. The new rule, which oblige Rapporteurs, … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Press

NEWS

Holy See’s Undersecretary Fr. Czerny presents the “Pastoral Orientations on human trafficking” at the European Parliament

“Our long-term goal is to prevent, ultimately dismantle, this most evil and sinful enterprise of deception, entrapment, domination and exploitation called human trafficking”, stated Fr. Michael Czerny , S.J., Under-Secretary of the Migrants & Refugees Section (Holy See), during a dialogue meeting hosted at the European Parliament by MEP Teresa Jiménez-Becerril on Tuesday 19 February 2019. Focusing on “Catholic Action against Trafficking in Human Beings”, … Continue reading »

Press

Press Release

EU Bishops launch statement in view of the 2019 EU Elections

European Bishops are publishing today the statement “Rebuilding community in Europe”, calling all EU citizens to engage in the political process, to exercise their discernment and to vote at the 2019 European elections, further building together the European project. Read and Download the Statement. From 23-26 May 2019, all EU citizens across the continent will be responsible for electing the new members of the European … Continue reading »

Justice & Fundamental Rights, Press

NEWS

Legal Affairs Commission: Article 17 and Fundamental Rights under the spotlight

The COMECE Legal Affairs Commission met on 7 February 2019 to discuss some current legal topics of interest for the Church, including the implementation of Article 17 TFEU and the need for the EU and its Member states to better promote and protect Fundamental Rights. Experts focused on Article 17 TFEU as a tool supporting the relationship between Churches and the EU institutions by setting … Continue reading »

Migration & Asylum, Press

Invitation

“Catholic Action against Trafficking in Human Beings”

COMECE and Don Bosco International are pleased to invite you on 19 February 2019 from 13h00 to 14h30 to participate in the “Catholic Action against Trafficking in Human Beings”, a dialogue meeting hosted by MEP Teresa Jiménez-Becerril at the European Parliament. This event will gather Churches and civil society representatives together with policy-makers and other active stakeholders in the field of anti-trafficking. It will take … Continue reading »

EU External Affairs, Press

Press Release

A renewed EU-ACP partnership: How to support development through investments?

On 4 February 2019 COMECE hosted a dialogue meeting between faith-based actors and policy-makers in the context of the on-going negotiations on the new partnership between the EU and the ACP countries. Stakeholders from the European External Action Service, European Commission, European Parliament, as well as faith-based actors from the field, including entrepreneurs and youth representatives, discussed how public authorities in the EU and in … Continue reading »

Ethics, Research & Health, Press

NEWS

COMECE publishes reflection on “Robotisation of Life”

The quick development of new technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading COMECE to publish the reflection “Robotisation of Life – Ethics in view of new challenges”. The document reaffirms the primacy of the human person and promotes a right-based and person-centred approach in reviewing the main principles that define the relationship between human persons and robots. Produced by an ad-hoc working group on … Continue reading »

Press

Press Release

Church-EU Dialogue: COMECE meets with the Romanian EU Presidency

A delegation from COMECE, together with CEC and CROCEU, went to Bucharest on 28 January 2019 to meet Teodor-Viorel Meleșcanu, Foreign Affairs Minister of Romania, on the priorities of the Romanian EU Council Presidency. Led by H.E. Mgr. Cornel Damian, Auxiliary Bishop of Bucharest, and Fr . Olivier Poquillon op, General Secretary of COMECE, the delegation presented a joint reflection elaborated with the Romanian Bishops’ … Continue reading »

International Religious Freedom, Press

NEWS

EP gives new impetus to Freedom of Religion outside the EU

The European Parliament adopted on 15 January 2019 the resolution on the EU guidelines and the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion outside the European Union. COMECE welcomes the adoption of this resolution as it enhances the community dimension of the fundamental right to religious freedom, including the recognition of legal personality to communities in the framework of International Law (Art. … Continue reading »