Projects - Relations with European Institutions

• Chair:           Gabriela Frey   (gabrielafrey(at)e-b-u.org)

• Vice-Chair:    Michel Aguilar  (michelaguilar(at)orange.fr)

EBU Europe (the EBU Committee on European Affairs) works in two areas:

• EBU Brussels: The European Union: the European Parliament (EP), the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) of the president of the European Commission (EC), The European Network Of Religions & Beliefs (ENORB) and others.
  • Michaël Vermeulen is the representative of the EBU to the European Union in Brussels (michaelvermeulen(at)e-b-u.org).

• EBU Strasbourg: The Council of Europe (and the EP when in Strasbourg): EBU is a member of the Conference of INGOs in the Council of Europe and of the Groupe inter-national, inter-culturel, inter-convictionel (G3i).
  • Gabriela Frey - as the Chair of the Committee on European Affairs - is the representative of the EBU to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
  • Michel Aguilar - as the Vice-Chair of this Committee - is participating actively at all the main meetings and work groups of the Council of Europe and G3i.

EBU Europe Mission Statement: 

EBU Europe represents the European Buddhist Union towards the European Union and the Council of Europe & aims to improve the knowledge of Buddhism and facilitate dialogue between European decision makers and their Buddhist citizens.

EBU Europe’s mission is:

• to inform European decision makers about Buddhism in Europe and to promote, support and encourage European initiatives towards an environment of compassion and friendliness, non-violence and non-discrimination.
• to be a permanent point of contact between the European Buddhist Union (EBU) and the European Union.
• to be a permanent point of contact between the EBU and the Council of Europe.
• to be the meeting point in Brussels and Strasbourg for members and staff of the European Institutions who are sympathetic towards Buddhism.

In order to achieve its mission, EBU-Europe’s aims, amongst others are to:

• provide and promote correct information about different Buddhist schools and traditions to European decision makers and those who influence the European public opinion.
• identify issues in European politics and culture where the voice of European Buddhism can make a positive contribution.
• represent European Buddhists at the European Parliament.
• represent European Buddhists at the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA).
• represent European Buddhists at the Council of Europe.
• support and co-ordinate the creation of a EC Cultural Circle for staff of the EU Institutions
• establish structural, informal and exploratory channels of communication between the Council of Europe, the European Union, the EBU and its members. 
• arrange, promote and co-ordinate initiatives with regards to European Buddhist Culture, Ethics, Philosophy, Politics, Social Action and Spirituality.

Participatory Status in the Council of Europe:

The Council of Europe in Strasbourg gave Independent Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) the opportunity to acquire an official consultative status. At present 417 organisations have been recognised (EBU obtained the official participatory status on 29 Oct 2008). They represent the civil society at the Council of Europe and are organised in the Conference of INGOs.

This Conference was created to meet a three-fold need:

• to know the views and aspirations of European citizens
• to provide direct representation for them
• to publicize its own activities through these associations

INGO experts may participate as consultants in various studies or contribute to the work of intergovernmental committees on an ad hoc basis; prepare memoranda for the Secretary General; make oral or written statements to the Parliamentary Assembly's Committees and to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities; address colloquies, seminars and other meetings organised by the Council of Europe.

There are minimum two plenary sessions of the Conference of INGOs per year in Strasbourg. In 2010 the Conference has defined three priorities: Human Rights, Rule of Law and Democracy.

More information can be found on the Council of Europe website. 

The representatives of the EBU work mainly in the of Human Rights Committee and the Education Committee of the Conference of INGOs. In these two Committees are working groups, dealing with religious, inter-cultural and inter-convictional dialogue.

The place and impact of gender equality is a theme, which, by definition, involves all activities. Also, a new working group will focus on the European Social Charter and its applications.