Brussels, 04/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Humanist Federation (EHF) criticises a discriminatory attitude from the Irish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers which, in the EHF's opinion, shows a clear bias in favour of dialogue with churches - to the detriment of non-confessional organisations. “The Irish EU Presidency has clearly implemented Article 17 in a biased way in favour of churches. Doing so, it has chosen to ignore the voice of those millions of European non-believers, which goes against European values of equality and non-discrimination”, the EHF states reproachfully.
On 21 November 2012, the EHF requested a meeting with the representatives of the Irish government if the latter were planning to meet the churches over the course of the Irish presidency. On 8 March 2013, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny met the representative from COMECE (Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union), Patrick Daly, in Dublin. Despite the EHF's repeated requests for an equivalent meeting to be organised, the Irish government has not replied affirmatively. The EHF reminds Ireland of Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, according to which the EU must maintain an “open, transparent and regular” dialogue with religions - churches AND non-confessional organisations. The EHF regrets this missed opportunity to discuss subjects with the Irish Presidency that a large majority of secular Europeans hold dear - such as the rise in populism, European financing for research (Horizon 2020), and the new European anti-discrimination directive, as well as domestic issues like the Irish anti-abortion law and the anti-blasphemy law. (IL/transl.fl)