Climate: letter to President Topolanek”Climate stabilisation is one of the most urgent political and moral challenges of the 21st century. If we do not manage to meet this challenge, the whole humankind will suffer a moral defeat.” This is the core message sent by the “Church and Society” Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and by the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), which addressed a letter to Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolanek, a few days before the European Council’s spring meeting. “If we consider the European Union’s historical responsibility – the EU is among the biggest polluters of the planet -, it is clear that the goal of cutting emissions by 20% set by the European Union is not sufficiently ambitious. The European Union should unilaterally commit to cutting its emission by almost 30%, compared to the reference year 1990, by 2020.” The letter acknowledges that, “in the current economic and financial crisis, more ambitions goals may be considered to be too high a challenge.” Nevertheless, “reduction and adaptation costs are substantially increasing year by year,” COMECE and CEC added. “Therefore, it would be unreasonable from an economic point of view not to do take the necessary steps”.Comece: plenary on Middle East and European elections Conflicts in the Middle East and Southern Asia, the EU role and next June’s European elections are the main issues to be discussed at the spring plenary assembly of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) in Brussels from 18 to 20 March. On that occasion, the new COMECE office on Meeûs Square 19 will be inaugurated. On 19 March, Mgr. Klaus Krämer, chair of Missio/Aachen, and Otmar Oehring, director of the Missio/Aachen “human rights” office, will outline the situation of Christians in the Middle East and in Southern Asia. This will be followed by a speech by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, on “war in Afghanistan – which perspectives?”, and by Marc Otte, EU special representative for the Middle East Peace Process on “the EU role in the Middle East conflict.” The European elections next June and what is at stake will be discussed by Niall O’Neill, Deputy Head of Protocol at the EU Parliament. On 20 March, there will be a meeting with Alexandr Vondra, Czech Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs. The works will end with a press conference at 2pm.CEC: guidelines for the ballot in June”Concerned about the low turnout in the last European elections”, four ecumenical organisations based in Brussels, APRODEV (Global Council of Churches), the “Church and society” Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) and Eurodiaconia have launched an information campaign for the elections of the European Parliament (4-7) June. “The campaign promotes the engagement of citizens in European affairs,” a statement reads. “Over the next five years, from 2009 to 2014, the 736 Members of the European Parliament will be taking decisions that will have important and lasting effects not only on 500 millions European citizens, but also on the whole world”. The promoting organisations have prepared a 15-page booklet in English, French and German (available at www.ecumenicalvoices2009.eu). The text is divided into chapters analysing 4 areas: Climate Change; Migration and Refugee Protection; Poverty and Social Exclusion; Peace and Development. The ecumenical organisations have conceived this document to “encourage churches to play an active role in the elections” “giving ideas for questions and topics to discuss in debates with political parties and candidates”.CEC: towards the Assembly in LyonFrom 15 to 21 July, the Conference of European Churches (CEC) will bring together, for the 13th time in its history, the representatives of the Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches in Europe for an Assembly that will have as its title: “Called to one hope in Christ”. According to its statutes, the Assembly is held every six years and is the highest authority of the CEC. This year also marks the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the Conference of European Churches. A website has been set up: assembly.ceceurope.org on which all information on the Assembly and procedures of accreditation for the media can be found.
