Bishops call for renewed US-EU partnership

June 09, 2021

As President Biden and EU leaders prepared for a June 15 summit in Brussels, the presidents of the the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops called for a renewed US-EU partnership.

“Even though the transatlantic partnership is based on a solid foundation of common principles and values, it needs to be nurtured continuously to make it even more fruitful and mutually beneficial not only for our citizens, but to also at the service of the whole human family,” Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, and Archbishop José Gomez said in their four-page statement, entitled “Shared Responsibility for the Whole Human Family: A Joint Declaration towards a Renewed Transatlantic Partnership.”

“The Church on both sides of the Atlantic stands ready to support these noble efforts of our decision-makers,” they added. “Ahead of the upcoming EU-U.S. Summit, we pray that the participants be guided by wisdom and mutual trust to lay the basis for a renewed transatlantic partnership for greater peace, justice and sustainable human development across our Continents and in the world.”

In the statement’s three main sections,the prelates called “for a people-centered and just recovery,” “for a more peaceful world,” and “for a better care of our common home.” They offered ethical principles and policy recommendations, such as

we hope that the EU and the U.S. can spur multilateral cooperation to find a global solution on a fair digital taxation to increase solidarity and mutual trust in our economies. With about 15 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic depending on a close economic transatlantic partnership, we encourage European and U.S. decision-makers to build upon free trade and investment initiatives in view of creating opportunities for human development and socio-economic empowerment of the citizens of our respective nations as well as globally.

“We also wish to appeal to European and U.S. decision-makers to intensify their joint efforts in the protection of the fundamental right to religious freedom which is a core value of the transatlantic partnership yet continues to be threatened in many parts of the world,” they added in the section devoted to peace.

 

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Further information:

• Shared Responsibility for the Whole Human Family (COMECE, USCCB)