Religious voices raised for integral ecology in the European Union

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article looks at how Europe’s Christian churches seek to have their voices heard in the corridors and debating chambers of the European Union through official consultation mechanisms, as well as through more informal awareness raising, and grass-roots activism. On the EU side, Christian inspiration was present from the outset, though arguably neglected or obscured for long periods of its 70-year existence. As the Union in its most recent incarnation seeks to emphasise the values-based nature of the European integration project, it has renewed its outreach to the cultural ‘holders of value’, with churches being particularly prominent in the dialogue. Among the EU’s current priorities, both in terms of domestic policy and global strategy, the ‘Green Deal’ is centre-stage. In striving for its 27 Member States to be world leaders in integral ecological and human development, the Union has found enthusiastic and like-minded partners in the churches.