KEK/WCC" "

Medicine and the destiny of man” “

The “Church and Society” Commission of the Conference of European Churches (KEK, an organization representing 126 Churches of Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic tradition) recently approved a document with the title “Genetic screening and predictive medicine”. Expressing satisfaction about the progress achieved by medical genetics, the document focuses attention on the “real difficulties” that […]

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Holy Land: enough declarations” “

“The shortest way to achieve peace in Iraq passes through Jerusalem” and “the Churches must dedicate themselves to the Palestinians just as they did for South Africa”. So said the Anglican bishop of Jerusalem, Riah Abu El-Assal, in recent days, recalling that since the beginning of the Intifada over 800 Israelis and over 2,400 Palestinians […]

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EU in brief" "

Traffic in human organs and tissues” “

Greece has presented a proposal relating to the Council’s framework decision on the prevention and repression of the traffic in human organs and tissues. The proposal was favourably accepted by the European Parliament’s Commission for the liberties and rights of citizens, which examined it during the EP’s recent plenary session (20-23 October). The traffic in […]

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Combating violence against women” “

The European Council and Commission should include in future trade and development agreements a specific clause that provides for the application of sanctions and, if need be, the suspension of the accord in the case of serious and recurrent violations of women’s rights, such as genital mutilation, mutilation with acid, corporal punishment inflicted in public, […]

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The Erasmus programme is opened to the whole world” “

The European Parliament’s commission for culture and education unanimously approved, in recent days, a report by Marielle De Sarnez on the Erasmus Mundus programme. Complementing the already well-known Erasmus programme for inter-university student exchanges within the EU, the programme is aimed at opening European universities and colleges to students from all over the world. The […]

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European Parliament" "

Debate on immigration” “

An extraordinary debate on European immigration and asylum policy took place on Wednesday, 22 October. The debate had been convened by the Italian Presidency of the EU following the tragic events of Lampedusa and especially the reluctance of the countries of northern Europe to support the need for the EU to assume the costs and […]

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Stability Pact: the 3% is inviolable” “

After the criticisms expressed by French premier Raffarin of the “straightjacket” of the Stability Pact that was allegedly preventing his country from launching its economic revival, and after the pressure brought to bear by other countries on the Commissioner for the Economy Pedro Solbes on the need to revise the Pact, the Italian Presidency declared […]

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Reports approved” “

During their plenary session in Strasbourg (20-23/10/2003), MEPs approved various reports, in particular the one by which the EP authorises the Union to ratify the “Convention on competence, applicable law, recognition, execution and cooperation concerning the responsibility of parents and measures for the protection of juveniles”, better known as The Hague Convention of 1996. In […]

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Common health card and the Daphne programme” “

The joint Council of Ministers of labour and social affairs, meeting in Brussels, adopted two decisions in the social sector on 20 October. First, the plan for a common health card for all the countries of the Union, beginning from July 2004, was approved: emergency medical treatment may be provided to a European citizen on […]

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press review" "

Dailies and periodicals” “

The 9th public ordinary Consistory, convened by the Pope on 21 October for the creation of 31 new cardinals (including one “ in pectore“), was given wide coverage in the main international dailies on the following day (22 October). They especially reflect on the relation between Consistory and Conclave. “The Curia and the entourage of […]

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