This Monday, 11 December 2006, Bishop van Luyn, President of COMECE, has sent a contribution of the Member Bishops of COMECE entitled “Common values – the living source of the European project” to the leaders of the EU Institutions.
In view of the political declaration on the values and ambitions of Europe which the European Heads of State and Government and the presidents of the European Commission and the European Parliament will adopt on 25 March 2007 in Berlin, the Member Bishops of COMECE have decided to contribute by adopting the text entitled “Common values – the living source of the European project” on the occasion of the Autumn Plenary Assembly (22-24 November 2006).
The COMECE Bishops recall that respect of human dignity serves as the basis for the protection of human rights, the rule of law, solidarity, subsidiarity and democracy.
In their contribution they underline in particular:
• Their conviction that the EU needs to be built on a firm community of values which must be revived in view of the new transnational challenges.
• Their concern that EU citizens identify with the values proclaimed by the EU and engage with the European project. For this reason they call upon the EU leaders to include a reference to the Christian and humanistic sources of the common values of the EU into the Berlin Declaration.
• Their support for the endeavour to provide the EU with a political and legal framework adequate to its ambitions in the hope that the Berlin Declaration can lay this foundation.
The contribution was sent today to Mr. Vanhanen, Finnish Premier Minister and President of the European Council, Mrs. Merkel, German Chancellor and President of the European Council from January 2007, Mr. Barroso, President of the European Commission, Mr. Borrell, President or the European Parliament and Mr. Pöttering, President of the EPP Group.