Ecumenism
The representatives of the Christian Churches encourage the European Commission and the member States of the Union to formulate concrete proposals to promote a European strategy for sustainable development, in accordance with the Gotheborg summit held in June. In a joint communiqué, Keith Jenkins, head of the “church and society” Commission of the KEK, and Msgr. Noël Treanor, Secretary General of COMECE write that “protecting the environment and preserving natural resources for future generations is a political challenge and a moral obligation for all of us“. “Therefore they add we wish to congratulate the representatives of the EU for the positive role they have played in reaching a final agreement on the Kyoto protocol in Bonn in July”. KEK and COMECE lament however the lack of concrete proposals in EU policies in this regard. In their joint statement Jenkins and Treanor reaffirm that “economic power must progress in tandem with a sustainable use of natural resources” and also in this regard ask for “the adoption of more precise commitments”. “One positive aspect of the European strategy for sustainable development they write is the pledge reaffirmed by the Union to reach the threshold of 0.7% of GDP to devote to aid for development. This new commitment, which emphasizes the direct relation between the fight against poverty and environmental implications, must be reinforced”. KEK and COMECE in fact urge the Council of Europe to establish a “precise calendar for achieving this goal, given that the official aid to development in most of the member States is still below 0.3% of GDP”.
