In his opening Speech, COMECE President Bishop Adrianus van Luyn, whose mandate as a COMECE Chair is about to end, made a review of the events which have marked the European Union in the past months. In the context of the EU enlargement to Croatia and the start of negotiations with Serbia, he stressed the vital importance of reconciliation in the Balkan region, recalling that … Continue reading »

The COMECE Spring Plenary Assembly will be held from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23March 2012 in Brussels. 23 COMECE Member Bishops will be present. The main topic of the Plenary will be « The European Year 2012 devoted to active ageing and intergenerational solidarity ». Besides, the Bishops delegate will renew the COMECE Permanent Committee by electing a new President and four Vice-Presidents during this … Continue reading »

In the midst of the Financial Crisis of the Eurozone, the COMECE Bishops call on the European Union and its citizens to refrain from blaming one another; instead we must assume co-responsibility for finding solutions. They call on European leaders to adopt a long-term perspective to overcome the crisis. These are the main messages of the Autumn Plenary Assembly of COMECE, which took place on … Continue reading »

Economic and Political Causes of the Debt Crisis in Europe Speech given by Emmanuel van der Mensbrugghe, Director of the IMF Offices in Europe, to the COMECE Bishops Good morning. It’s great to be back in Brussels, among such a distinguished group. Europe, of course, has a great legacy of economic cooperation and coordination. The process of European integration—culminating in economic and monetary union among … Continue reading »