WRITTEN QUESTION E-0291/01 by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Religious think tanks and the EU.
Date: 2001-02-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, religious group

C 261 E/78

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

Furthermore, the Commission proposed (2) an initiative to amend Directive 91/308/EEC of 10 June 1991,
on prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering (3), on which a
common position was reached in Council on 30 November 2000. Most importantly, it will extend the
obligations of the Directive, in particular customer identification and reporting of suspicions of money
laundering, after its formal adoption by the Parliament and Council.

(1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000.
(2) OJ C 177 E, 27.6.2000.
(3) OJ L 166, 28.6.1991.

(2001/C 261 E/080)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0291/01

by Daniel Hannan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 February 2001)

Subject: Religious think tanks and the EU

The Catholic European Study and Information Centre (OCIPE) and COMECE (Commission of the Bishops(cid:146)
Conferences of the European Community) both contribute to the debate on the development of the EU.

Do they receive EC monies?

What is their mandate?

What activities do they undertake with EC grants?

Who runs them?

What is the policy of the Commission in encouraging church participation, or the participation of other
religious groups, in the development of ever-closer union?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2001)

A great variety of religious organisations, including the ones mentioned by the Honourable Member, may
be eligible for small grants from Community funds, managed directly by the Commission. These are of two
types: firstly there are subsidies to help cover the running costs of coordination and representation
activities, at European level, of not-for-profit organisations; and secondly there are specific grants for
individual projects.

In the case of the first type, the so-called coordinating Committee of (cid:145)A Soul for Europe(cid:146) which regroups
organisations like the ones mentioned by the Honourable Member, has regularly applied for and received a
small subsidy to help with the running costs of its secretariat in the Ecumenical Centre in Brussels. In the
case of the second type, many small grants are also made each year to organisations which propose
projects and activities which contribute to the debate on the development of the Community, such as the
organisation of conferences and seminars bringing together participants from several member state and
candidate countries. Both the organisations mentioned have received grants for activities of this type.

As the Commission is concerned specifically with the activities to be supported, rather than the mandates
and management of the organisations as such, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member
directly to organisations themselves for precise information on these.

The policy of the Commission as regards the involvement of Churches in the development of ever-closer
union is to recognise their importance both in their own right, and as conveyors of opinion about it. For
these reasons the Commission maintains a permanent dialogue with them.