French EU Presidency: CEC and COMECE meet with Ambassador Leglise-Costa

Press Release
Brussels, 8 March 2022

A delegation of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) met with Ambassador Philippe Leglise-Costa, Permanent Representative of France to the European Union, on 7 March 2022, to exchange on the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The meeting was an occasion to share with the French ambassador CEC-COMECE contribution to the French EU Presidency Programme: Recovery, Strength and a sense of Belonging.

The document gathers a series of concrete policy recommendations addressing the priorities of the French EU Presidency. They stretch from the promotion of a fair and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to the development of a European strategic culture of peace, with human security at its heart.

The document also includes recommendations on: EU migration and asylum policies, the EU-Africa partnership, digital transition-AI, the ecological transition, employment, worker’s conditions and a responsible and sustainable market economy, the Conference on the Future of Europe, freedom of religion, health, fundamental rights and the fight against antisemitism, education and culture.

Churches shared their concerns on the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine, urging the EU to tirelessly seek a peaceful solution to the conflict, while ensuring safe humanitarian corridors and welcoming refugees fleeing the war.

Meetings with rotating EU Council Presidencies are part of a long-standing tradition supported by Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which foresees an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the EU and the churches, as well as religious associations or communities. COMECE and CEC will continue to engage with current and upcoming EU Presidencies.

The COMECE-CEC delegation was composed of:

• Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, General Secretary of CEC
• Lena Kumlin, CEC’s Senior EU Policy Advisor seconded by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
• Alix de Wasseige, COMECE Policy adviser
• Stefan Lunte, General Secretary of Justice and Peace Europe

Download COMECE-CEC Contribution

For more information or an interview, please contact:

Naveen Qayyum
Communication Officer
Conference of European Churches
Rue Joseph II, 174 B-1000 Brussels
Tel. +32 486 75 82 36
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ceceurope.org
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