Thinking ‘European’

In the March issue of Europeinfos, the monthly magazine of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), in conjunction with the Jesuit European Office (Ocipe), ample space is devoted to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, with articles on the question of biodiversity, EU political and institutional initiatives linked to the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, and to COMECE’s 30th anniversary. The magazine also presents a report on the first European Council held February 11, for the first time under the presidency of Herman van Rompuy, and a presentation of the “Second Barroso Commission” with a brief profile of the commissioners-elect. SIR Europe n°16 published the Op-ed by Fr. Piotr Mazurkiewicz, COMECE Secretary General.Decreasing biological diversity. The UN declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity, which is undergoing constant threat. Since the year 2000 forest areas have diminished by 6 million hectares per year, while wild animal species fell by 40% in the years 1970 – 2000. In order to curb this destructing trend, with serious repercussions on the poorest areas of the planet, on December 22 the EU Council released a document which calls for investment in research that will prevent this decline. The Churches underline the ethical aspect of the problem and the responsibility of defending the right to survival of every form of life. Larissa Schier criticizes the fact that the Council document lacks in concrete proposals. Hopes are laid in the Convention on Biological Diversity (October 2010, Japan) and in the target of cutting deforestation by 50% before 2020. Lisbon Treaty and national parliaments. The Lisbon Treaty has stepped up the role of national parliaments in EU decision-making processes, encouraging the latter to follow through policies and to increase EU activity involvement. Christian Wehking writes, “the European Parliament welcomes the tasks and the rights granted to the national parliaments, which will boost progress in decision-making process responsibilities”, notably in the area of freedom, justice and security policies. As relates to the principle of subsidiarity, if a third of the 27 national parliaments should consider a EU draft-bill item incompatible, it is possible to refer to the Court of Justice, in compliance with the so-called “yellow card” or “orange card” procedure, in case of simple majority. New horizons for foreign policy. One of the most significant measures introduced with the Lisbon Treaty is the fact of having created a structure to promote greater European foreign policy coherence and performance. EU responsibilities include the management of 50% of world development aids. The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Catherine Ashton, has world-scale responsibilities ranging from political and diplomatic relations to humanitarian assistance, from the questions tied to the defence of economic affairs and the management of emergency situations, in view of promoting a common foreign and security policy (CFSP). According to Jesuit Fr. Henri Madelin, “the most significant innovation consists in the creation of European External Action Service (EEAS)”, a sort of foreign ministry tasked with “developing a service capable of harmonising Member States’ positions and of converging international decisions”. Commissioner Ashton is tasked with adopting these tools effectively, an approach which seems to have been lacking in the Haiti emergency.COMECE’s 30th anniversary. In an interview with Fr. Huot-Pleuroux, first COMECE Secretary General, Johanna Touzel addresses the birth of the Commission that was immediately granted positive reception from political institutions and from the Secretary. Initially it was a question of learning on political documents and subjects in order to provide information to the bishops’ Conferences. COMECE thus became a place for reflection and debate on European questions and their repercussions on the Churches. Today, thanks to the Lisbon Treaty, a new partnership with institutions has been established.