On 18 October 2011, the European Humanist Federation (EHF) of which the BHA Head of Public Affairs is a board member, submitted a complaint to the European Ombudsman arguing that the European Commission was refusing to comply with the Article 17:3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) which requires the EU to conduct a “regular, open and transparent dialogue with churches, religious communities as well as philosophical and non-confessional organisations.”
A few month earlier, in March 2011, the EHF had proposed a dialogue seminar to discuss the problems arising from religious exemptions in EU directives against discrimination but the Commission refused to discuss the subject on the grounds that is was going “beyond the spirit of Article 17”. The EHF made several attempts to obtain a shift in the Commission’s position, culminating in a letter to President Barroso, which produced no result. The EHF was left with no other choice than lodging a complaint to the EU ombudsman, Mr Nikiforos Diamandouros.
In the decision closing his inquiry published on 25 January 2013, the EU ombudsman agreed with the European Humanist Federation. His letter states that “the Commission failed properly to implement Article 17 (3) TFEU (which) constitutes an instance of maladministration”. Beyond this specific case, the EHF was seeking to obtain from the EU Commission clear guidelines on how they intend to implement Article 17. Following EHF’s view, the EU ombudsman inserted a further remark in his decision: “taking into account the Ombudsman’s findings, the Commission should clarify its practices and rules in this area, and, if necessary draw up guidelines indicating how exactly it plans to implement Article 17 TFEU.”
The EHF welcomes the EU ombudsman’s decision and hopes it will lead to a more balanced approach towards humanists in the implementation of Article 17.
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Contact Pierre-Arnaud Perrouty on +32 484 18 35 35 or on pierre-arnaud.perrouty@laicite.net for further comment.
The European Humanist Federation is the largest umbrella organisation of humanist associations in Europe, promoting a secular Europe, defend equal treatment of everyone regardless of religion or belief, fight religious conservatism and privilege in Europe and at the EU level.