Written declaration No. 530 | Doc. 12993 | 28 June 2012

The autonomy of churches and religious communities

Signatories: Mr Luca VOLONTÈ, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Alexander (The Earl of) DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Renato FARINA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr György FRUNDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Corina FUSU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrzej HALICKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Stella JANTUAN, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Ferenc KALMÁR, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Stella KYRIAKIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Jagna MARCZUŁAJTIS-WALCZAK, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Mirosława NYKIEL, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Mikael OSCARSSON, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Liliana PALIHOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Ángel PINTADO, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Oleksiy PLOTNIKOV, Ukraine, SOC ; Ms Zaruhi POSTANJYAN, Armenia, EPP/CD ; Mr Cezar Florin PREDA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Valentina RADULOVIĆ-ŠĆEPANOVIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Ms Elżbieta RADZISZEWSKA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Ms Amber RUDD, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Luz Elena SANÍN, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Giacomo SANTINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Mykola SHERSHUN, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Maria STAVROSITU, Romania, EPP/CD ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Imre VEJKEY, Hungary, EPP/CD

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

Considering that the autonomous existence of churches and religious communities is indispensable for pluralism in a democratic society,

Considering

• the Charter of the United Nations,
• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18),
• the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 18),
• the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (Article 6),
• the Helsinki Final Act (Article VII),
• the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 9) and the well-established case-law of the European Court of Human Rights,
• the Directive 78/2000/EC of 27 November 2000 (Article 4),
• the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Article 10),
• the European Union Council Resolution of 16 November 2009,

The undersigned, members of the Parliamentary Assembly,

• reaffirm the utmost importance of the right to freedom of religion of churches and religious communities, implying the respect of the following principles: distinction between State and churches, doctrinal and institutional autonomy of the churches and religious communities, neutrality and impartiality of the State on religious matters;
• are concerned by the judgement of the 3rd Section of the European Court of Human Rights, Sindicatul Pastorul cel Bun v. Romania, which departs from the well-established case-law of the Court and has wide-ranging implications.