Promoted by Bund Gegen Anpassung (Alliance Against Conformity)

The undersigned,

Having regard to the motion for a resolution for a Secular European Constitution tabled by Maurizio Turco and 256 Members of the European Parliament and sustained by 320 parliamentarians from the 15 EU Member States

Whereas article 51 of the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe:

A. contradicts the principle of separation between public institutions and religious institutions;
B. obliges EU to a regular dialogue with churches and religious associations and communities recognising so to religious institutions a right of interference in the exercice of european public powers;
C. guarantees the perpetuation of privileges acquired at national level by religious institutions, preventing the scrutiny of their compatibility with the fundamental rights and freedoms of European citizens as with EU policies and Law;
D. has a terminology inappropriate for a Constitution such that it is likely to give rise to many juridical controversies;

Whereas freedom of organisation and freedom of action of religious associations and communities are already guaranteed by article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and article 46 of the Draft Constitutional Treaty related to representative associations of civil society;

sustain the motion for a resolution, promoted by Maurizio Turco and signed until now by 136 Members of the European Parliament, asking to the Council, the Commission and the Member States to abrogate the article 51 of the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and, in particular, to the representatives of Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Sweden to use their veto, during the IGC, in coherence with the amendments viewing to suppress article 51 that they tabled during the Convention's work.