By Martin Banks - 24th October 2011
The commission's incomprehensible excuse is that we want to talk about religion
David Pollock
The European Humanist Federation has accused the commission of "refusing to comply" with the terms of the Lisbon treaty.
It has now lodged a complaint with the European ombudsman on a treaty rule that requires the EU to conduct a 'regular, open and transparent dialogue' with 'philosophical and non-confessional organisations'.
The commission has for many years routinely conducted 'dialogue seminars' with the two conferences of European bishops.
But in March, the European Humanist Federation (EHF), the main body representing nonreligious people in Europe, proposed a dialogue seminar for the first time.
The aim was to discuss the problems arising from religious exemptions in EU directives against discrimination.
The commission is said to have refused to discuss the subject.
Attempts over the last four months to obtain a shift in the commission's position, culminating in a letter to president José Manuel Barroso himself, have produced no result, it is alleged.
"The commission is refusing to let the EHF meet the officials who deal with policy on non-discrimination," said David Pollock, president of the EHF. "Yet the official in charge is aware of the difficulties, as was clear when he spoke at a recent meeting in parliament.
He said, "The commission's incomprehensible excuse is that we want to talk about religion or philosophy and that this lies outside the commission's area of competence.
"Of course it does but, as we have pointed out in vain, what we want to discuss is not religion but human rights, equality and non-discrimination, and these lie squarely within the commission's competence.
"Exactly the same problem arose last year over a conference the
commission proposed to subsidise for us, with the result that it was never held."
He added, "For too long we have suffered disdainful treatment from the commission that stands in marked contrast to their receptive attitude to the churches.
"It took years of pressure while the commission organised annual summit meetings with the churches before they created a parallel meeting for non-confessional organisations.
"We did not want to make a public complaint but we were left with no other recourse. This is either incompetence by the commission or, we fear, an attempt to protect religious privilege from scrutiny."
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