Dialogue with European Political Institutions
Dialogue seminar at the European Commission.
Dialogue and advocacy at the European level is an important part of the mission of the Conference of European Churches. Through our offices in Brussels and Strasbourg, we bring the concerns of our membership to the European Union and Council of Europe.
We follow and analyse the activity of European political institutions, work with our membership to develop Conference of European Churches positions on important issues, and provide opportunity for churches to engage directly with these bodies.
Open, regular, and transparent dialogue between churches and the European Union takes place according to Article 17 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union. We often cooperate with the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), and others in our dialogue with the EU.
Our work in this area includes:
- Regular dialogue seminars with the European Commission
- Meetings with the presidency of the Council of the EU, involving our member churches at the national level
- High-level religious leaders’ meeting at the European Commission
- Ad-hoc meetings, workshops, and conferences with participation from church representatives and experts
- Contributions to public consultations organised by the European Union
Related posts
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1 Dec, 2015
High-level meeting at European Parliament addresses persecution of Christians
On 1 December senior religious leaders, victims of faith-based persecution, and members of the European Institutions gathered at the European Parliament for a conference “The Persecution of Christians in the World: A call for action.”
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16 Jun, 2015
Living together and disagreeing well: High-level meeting with religious leaders at European Commission
On 16 June senior Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Mormon leaders gathered for the 11th annual high-level meeting at the European Commission.
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16 Jan, 2015
Meeting between Latvian EU Presidency & Church Representatives
Churches led wide-ranging discussions with the Latvian Presidency team on religious freedom and tolerance, climate change, migration, security strategy and conflict prevention and EU neighbourhood policy. Within a week of taking on the Presidency of the European Council, the Latvian Minister of Justice, Dzintars Rasnačs, received a delegation of representatives from the Christian churches of Europe to discuss the Latvian Presidency agenda.
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19 Dec, 2014
Press Release: Churches meet with Italian EU Presidency
In the closing days of the Italian EU Presidency, Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentilioni met with a joint delegation of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on 18 December in Rome. Delegates present at the meeting urged the presidency for concrete action on youth unemployment, migration, and freedom of religion and belief.
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27 Nov, 2014
Human trafficking: Churches call on the EU for action on a wider front
An estimated 800,000 women, men, and children are victims of human trafficking within the EU today. The EU and its member states urgently need to implement the legal framework already in place and to intensify cooperation with civil society and church organisations that work with victims at the grassroots level. This was one of the main messages of the Dialogue Seminar organised by COMECE and the Church and Society Commission of CEC in cooperation with CCME in dialogue with the EU Commission on 27 November.
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8 May, 2014
Improving the conditions of the Roma people in Europe: challenges and open questions
The Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) held a joint consultation on the theme “Improving the Situation of Roma People in Europe: Challenges and open questions” under the auspices of the Greek Presidency of the European Union. This consultation took place in Athens from 5-7 May 2014 on the gracious invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
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13 Jan, 2014
CEC-COMECE meet with Greek EU Presidency
On 10 January 2014, three days after the official start of the Greek EU Presidency, the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister with specific responsibility for European Affairs, Dimitris Kourkoulas, received a delegation of senior Greek and European churchmen in Athens. Also in attendance were senior officials from the Foreign Ministry.
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17 Dec, 2012
How to build a European Model of the Social Market Economy?
On 14 December, CEC joined forces with COMECE and the Bureau of Policy Advisers of the European Community to hold a dialogue seminar, "How to build a European Model of the Social Market Economy?"
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14 Dec, 2012
Dialogue Seminar: European Social Market Economy
Press releases and speeches related to the 14 December dialogue seminar "How to build a European Model of the Social Market Economy?"
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10 Oct, 2012
CEC, COMECE meet with Cyprus EU Presidency
The delegation of Cypriot and European Church representatives were received by the Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs Andreas D. Mavroyiannis on 6 October in the Presidential Palace in Nicosia as part of the series of regular encounters between Churches and EU Presidencies. They had an exchange of views concerning a series of topics related to the agenda of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.