The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) releases on Tuesday 13th April 2021 the statement “One year after: What place for social, ecological and contributive justice in the EU recovery package?”, reaction of its Social Affairs Commission to the largest package ever financed through the EU budget and its effects on social, ecological and contributive justice. Mgr. Hérouard, President of the Social Affairs Commission of COMECE: “we are called to live solidarity in the European Union and fully include people in precarious situations or isolation”.
One year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hardly the European Union, affecting people’s health, the economy and society as a whole. Together with the ongoing climate crisis and the digital and demographic transitions, Europe now faces also double health and economic emergency.
In this context, the Bishops of the European Union welcome the EU recovery package as “a new sign of solidarity in the European Union, much needed to help the people most impacted by the crisis, and to tackle the ongoing global ecological crisis”.
COMECE urges all Member States to “fulfil their commitment of July 2020 by ratifying the Own Resources Decision in their national Parliaments” and encourages all international actors “to cooperate to find global solutions on digital taxation […] to move towards a fairer taxation system in which large companies contribute in a fair way to the recovery”.
“Against particular interests, we are called to live solidarity in the European Union and fully include people in precarious situations or isolation, and in particular those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We ask the EU and its Member States that all economic actors, and in particular multinationals companies, some of which have benefited from the crisis, participate in a fair way to the recovery effort to increase ‘mutual trust’ in our economy. At the same time, caring for our neighbours should go in hand in hand with caring for our common home, as one human family living on the same planet”, states H.E. Mgr. Antoine Hérouard.
The COMECE Commission also appreciates the integration of new own EU resources “to ensure that everyone contributes in a fair way to the recovery, while caring for our common home and people who live in it”.
If we are to tackle individualistic trends and to put human dignity back at the centre of our policies, solidarity among nations is needed more than ever. “Solidarity – the document reads – is at the heart of the European Union and will be the key in the recovery”.
The statement was elaborated by the COMECE Social Affairs Commission and analyses some of the achievements of the European Union towards social, ecological and contributive justice since COVID-19 hit the EU. This reflection paper also includes concrete proposals for more solidarity in the recovery process and follows the May 2020 statement “Let Europe recover through justice”, first reaction of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission to the recovery plan proposed by the European Commission.
