Conference of European Churches - Office of Communications

Press release No. 08-28/e

Geneva, 9 May 2008

The relationship of the churches with the European Institutions will feature prominently in the agenda of the meeting of the Presidium of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on 13-16 May in Brussels, Belgium.

The 10-member Presidium serves as the executive of the 40-member Central Committee of CEC. It is comprised of the President, Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, the Vice-President, Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and All Albania, the Deputy Vice-President, Dean Margarethe Isberg, and seven members of the Central Committee.

The Presidium will receive reports on recent and future activities of CEC from the General Secretary, the Venerable Colin Williams, and from its different working areas: the Church and Society Commission, which deals with European affairs; the Churches in Dialogue theological commission, and the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), an independent body which will complete its merger with CEC during 2008.

The Presidium will also be monitoring the preparations for the 13th CEC Assembly, to be held in Lyon, France, from 15-21 July 2009.

A special session on 14 May will be devoted to the relationship of churches with European Institutions. This session will particularly deal with potential ways and means to implement art. 17 of the Lisbon Treaty on an “open, transparent and regular dialogue” between the EU and the religious communities. The presenters will be Mr Mario Mauro, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mr Jorge Cesar das Neves, from the Group of European Policy Advisors of the European Commission, and Drs Laurens Hogebrink, author of a Church and Society study on the subject.

“Our Presidium meeting in Brussels,” stated the Venerable Colin Williams, “will help us move closer to preparing all the many issues concerning our common life within CEC which we need to consider as we prepare for our Assembly. I am also glad that the fact that we are meeting in Brussels will give us the opportunity to reflect on the relationship between the Churches of Europe and the European Institutions”.

***

The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

For more information
Luca M. Negro
CEC Office of Communications
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
e-mail: Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org