Brussels, 10/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - Vatican sources regard as "totally inadequate", as it makes no reference to religion, the draft article on the European Union's fundamental values presented last week by Valery Giscard d'Estaing to the Convention's plenary (see EUROPE of 7 February, p.8 for draft Article 2 and 8 February, p.5 for the indications of Vice-President Giuliano Amato by which a reference to religion could appear in the preamble to the future Constitution). Last week, when receiving a delegation of Serb Orthodox, Pope John-Paul regretted that "Europe's Christian identity seems at times to be placed in discussion", and hoped for co-operation by Catholics and Orthodox in defending this identity.
COMECE (Commission of the Bishop's Conference of the European Community), for its part, hopes that "the role of religious faith as a source and foundation of our common European values will be recognised in the final version of the Constitutional Treaty". Indeed, it cites the explanatory note annexed to the first draft articles by which "this does not, of course, prevent the Constitution mentioning additional, more detailed elements which are pat of the Union 'ethic' in other places, such as, for instance, in the Preamble, in Article 3 on the genera objective of the Union, in the Charter of Fundamental Rights (which, unlike this article, does not, however, apply to the autonomous actions by the Member States), in Title VI on the 'democratic life of the Union' and in the provision enshrining the specific objectives of the various policies". COMECE also hopes to find in the final text of the Treaty legislative proposals (submitted jointly by itself and Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches) on "the specific role of Churches and religious communities in European society, including their status under national law".