” “The European Churches and the attendant organisations, such as Caritas and Diaconia, “state that their care, social and health assistance work is a decisive trait of their identity" and think that "the services" they supply “fall under the exemption clause laid down by the EU Services Directive”. These are some of the findings of the dialogue workshop, promoted yesterday in Brussels by the Conference of European Churches (Cec/Kek) and the Secretariat of the Commission of the EU Bishops Conferences (Comece). “Social and health services: the contribute of the Churches and church organisations to the European social model”: this is the subject of the meeting attended by about 50 delegates from the EU Commission and Parliament and from the Churches and attendant organisations. The core of the workshop was the discussion going on at EP about the Services Directive, as well as the recent Memo on that matter and the consultation of the Commission about health services. Initiatives that the Churches hope "will focus on the quality of the services”. The Churches ask the EU Commission for "ethical principles in the development of future policies”.” “
