We want to promote and protect the freedom of religion or belief

Freedom of religion or belief is a universal human right. It is an EU value and an important and undeniable pillar of dignity. Yet, recent years have seen a dramatic rise in violations of this basic right worldwide as well as the persecution of believers and non-believers.

The EPP Group intends to ensure that the protection of freedom of religion or belief in all its forms remains high on the EU and international political agenda. We have been particularly vocal about protecting victims in crisis areas of religious intolerance in the broader Middle East, where vulnerable native communities such as Christians are being persecuted.

In January 2019, under the EPP Group leadership, the European Parliament gave clear political guidelines to the EU Special Envoy on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU which must frame the backbone of EU action in this field. In line with our core priority which is to create societies in which pluralism and tolerance prevail, we insist that the EU takes the following steps in the coming years to secure freedom of religion or belief worldwide.

Promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief through international relations and cooperation

The freedom of religion and belief must be continuously promoted through EU external policy and interreligious dialogues. The efforts on this path must be linked with the prevention of religious extremism. The awareness and knowledge about different aspects of each religion and belief must be increased as a means of preventing the fuelling of bias and stereotypes. The fight with the false and unfounded perceptions of individual beliefs or non-beliefs will contribute to eradicating behaviour which often leads to exclusion and violence. In addition, we will continue to work, and urge the EU to do so, to repeal blasphemy laws in countries which still apply them. We will also insist that the EU includes human rights dialogue, covering the freedom of religion or belief, in all negotiations with a view to the conclusion of any agreement with non-EU countries. We will work for the establishment of an official annual UN-led international day commemorating the victims and survivors of religious persecution.

Special Representative for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU

One of the most urgent priorities will be to upgrade the current post of the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief to the status of the EU Special Representative in this field. It will imply the extension of his/her mandate from a yearly renewable term to a multi-year term, and the institutionalisation of his/her mandate, duties and capacity. We will continue to insist on the setting-up of an informal advisory working group consisting of Member States responsible for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief and other relevant institutions, including European Parliament representatives. Cooperation with counterparts outside the EU needs to be further developed.

EU guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief

The EU adopted its guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief in June 2013. They engage EU inter alia to demand the immediate accountability of state or non-state actors for the execution or killing of individuals on the grounds of religion or belief. It also encourages refraining from nourishing interreligious tensions. The effective implementation of these guidelines will guide our action in the coming years. Only once fully implemented, can these guidelines make the EU an efficient defendant and promotor of the freedom of belief or religion worldwide. EU Annual Reports on Human Rights and Democracy in the World, as well as progress reports in respect of the implementation of the EU guidelines should also include a chapter dedicated to freedom of religion or belief.

Sufficient EU funding for freedom of religion or belief

We advocate an increase in the funding allocated to projects related to the freedom of religion or belief within the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights as well as appropriate funding for such projects under the EU external financial instruments, within the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027.

The EPP Group: the only political Group promoting interreligious dialogue

The EPP Group is the only Group in the European Parliament which has a long-standing dialogue with monotheistic religions such as Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Islam and the Jewish faiths. Daily events in Europe and in the world continuously highlight the fundamental importance of churches and religious communities in resolving conflict and social peace both at regional and local levels. In many ways, religious institutions help create, communicate and protect societal values. By doing so, they exert a significant amount of direct and indirect influence on society. Churches do not operate by themselves but through the people who belong to them. So when we speak about churches, we are not speaking only about institutions, but also about hundreds of millions of people around the world who are believers.

The EPP Group believes that it is its duty to defend the right to freedom of religion or belief, to openly discuss related issues, bring them closer to the public eye and into the mainstream of European debates.