“One of Us”, meeting the target” “

It’s been exactly a year and a half since, on May 11, 2012, the Citizens’ initiative called “One of Us” was officially presented to the European Commission.At that time an awareness campaign was launched with the direct involvement of European citizens, supported by a wide array of pro-life organizations, whose stated goal is the “legal protection of the dignity, the right to life and integrity of every human being since the moment conception in the areas of EU competence in which such protection is deemed relevant”.The Initiative, compliant with the modalities enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty, in force since 2009, required a million signatures in its support.On Monday, November 11, the subscriptions (as many as 1 million and 700 thousand) will be submitted to the respective national authorities of the 28 capitals of European Union member countries, tasked with verifying and certifying their validity.”One of us” goes like the wind, but this is not the final goal. Signatures were collected throughout Europe, but the commitment requires renewed thrust: the Citizens’ Initiative is an instrument of democratic participation to ask the Commission for a legislative initiative in the spheres of competence of the Community. That’s the finishing line.In this case, the legislative areas involved in this case may be, in accordance with the treaties of the Union, those of public health, the protection of intellectual property, financing of research and development cooperation. The promoters of “One of Us” aim to incorporate some legislative acts of the Union so as “to end the financing of activities which presuppose the destruction of human embryos”, to ensure that Union aids in the field of international development are not “used to fund abortion, directly or indirectly” thereby excluding as EU funding recipients all organizations that engage in or promote abortion.Here then the next steps. The national authorities have three months to certify signatures after which the promoting committee will meet with the European Commission (which holds the power of legislative initiative) to present their requests. Likewise, the “One of Us” campaign will be presented at a public hearing in the seat of the European Parliament. The Commission will then have three months’ time to issue an official response (in the form of a “communication”) to the promoters, explaining whether it intends to proceed with a legislative initiative or not. In the case of an affirmative answer regular legislative process will ensue and the European parliament and the Council of EU ministers will be called to decide whether and how to approve a law. Indeed, it’s a wide timeframe, and it can be expected that it will be dealt with during the next term of Strasbourg’s Assembly.It is therefore to be assumed that in order to obtain the protection of life on a European scale, and with regard to the Community’s powers, a long and tortuous path lies ahead. But a new impetus is now expected by the same promoters, and by all European citizens who are in favor of life. It is necessary to continue public awareness activities with the involvement of individual citizens. The defense of the embryo – which is in fact “one of us” – must become a daily issue on which to develop a structured and serious cultural and political debate. Among other things, European Parliament elections campaigns (May 22 to 25, 2014) would provide the opportunity to once again focus on the crucial issue of human life.The national committees of “One of us”, as well as the headquarters of the Initiative in Brussels, are well aware that the road is still long, but, given the matter at stake, it is worth following it with determination.