Caritas Europa provides information briefing for forthcoming Slovenian EU Presidency

Brussels, 30 November 2007. - Over the past years, Caritas Europa has gathered broad experience in exchanging with the Member States designated to hold the EU presidency. This exchange aims to present Caritas Europa's positions and recommendations in a dialogue on policy issues that are relevant to the presidency's political agenda.  

In view of the forthcoming Slovenian EU Presidency, Caritas Europa has submitted an information briefing to the Slovenian Permanent Representation in Brussels providing views in four main areas.  

The first chapter (Social Policy) focuses on tackling child poverty through policy measures in support of families. Caritas Europa believes that child poverty should not be thought of in exclusively economic terms. It has frequently found that child poverty encompasses social and cultural exclusion along with the lack of monetary support. The organisation reaffirms through this chapter that child poverty is an issue of poverty within the family and presents a number of proactive measures to combat it. 

The second chapter (Freedom, Security and Justice) promotes the development of a Common European Asylum System. In a separate document published in August 2007, Caritas Europa and its Christian partner organisations have broadly addressed the questions raised by the European Commission in the Green Paper on this topic. The information briefing contains a selection of recommendations related to processing of asylum applications; reception conditions for asylum seekers; a possible uniform status for persons in need of international protection; and sustainable return policies. A comprehensive paper on European migration and asylum policy developments has also been prepared in view of a specialist meeting with Slovenian representatives.  

The third chapter (External Relations) incorporated a plea for continued EU support in Darfur and Sudan considering that over four million people are currently affected by the convoluted situation in this region. This issue remains prevalent for Caritas Europa as Caritas Internationalis and ACT International have jointly responded to the crisis since July, 2004, through the Darfur Emergency Response Operation (DERO). According to Caritas Europa, the EU must do all in its capacity to keep Darfur high on the international political agenda while maintaining attention to developments in the rest of Sudan.  

The fourth chapter (Development Policy), takes an in-depth look at how to make the European Community's aid work for the poor. Caritas Europa observes that there is evidence for the great potential of EC aid and some progress has been made in its effectiveness. Significant changes, however, are required if it is to have a more immediate and lasting impact on the living conditions in developing countries. The OECD Development Assistant Committee's peer review whose recommendations have found broad support within civil society should be the trigger for a comprehensive reform in this area.    

For further details, please download the full version of the information briefing here below. 

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Related links 

 Slovenian EU presidency website online as of 1 January 2008




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Related documents

Information briefing Bringing Human Dignity to the Heart of European Debate

Briefing paper on European Migration and Asylum Policy Developments

Slovenian Bishops present Pastoral Letter on Slovenian EU Presidency



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Related medias

Pastoral Letter on EU Presidency
Slovenian Times