13/11/2009
| Thursday, 19 November 2009 |
| 09.00 - 09.30 | Opening session: Chairman: Othmar Karas, MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP Welcome address by: possibly: Giancarlo Galan, President of the Veneto Region possibly: Massimo Cacciari, Mayor of Venice Welcome address by: Mario Mauro MEP, Head of the Italian PDL Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP Carlo Casini MEP, Head of the Italian UDC Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP |
| 09.30 - 11.00 | PART I: THE ROLE OF CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN PRESERVING THE EUROPEAN IDENTITY Chairman: Othmar Karas MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP Main speeches: The Message from HE Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice, read by Mr Natalino Bonazza, representative of Patriarch for the public institutions in Venice The Message from HAH The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, read by HE Metropolitan Emmanuel, Archbishop of France, the Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch to EU Message from HAH The Patriarch Kirill I, read by Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of Moscow Patriarchate Hieromonk Philip Message from His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of Romania, read by H.E. Metropolitan Nifon of Targoviste Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, President of the Rabbinical council of United Synagogue, United Kingdom Keynote speeches: Wilfried Martens, Chairman of the EPP Party Mario Mauro MEP, OSCE Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions and Head of the Italian PDL Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP Speakers: Riccardo Pacifici, President of the Jewish Community of Rome Jan Olbrycht MEP, Former Coordinator of the Horizontal Working Group 1 - Europe of Values "Upholding Strong Values Debate |
| 11.00-12.30 | PART II: FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR EUROPE: OUR COMMON RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE CITIZENS OF EUROPE Chairman: Othmar Karas MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP Introduction by: Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP Keynote speech by: Renato BrunettaMinister of Public Administration and Innovation of the Italian Republic Speakers: Corien Wortmann-Kool MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, Chairwoman of the 'Economy and Environment' Working Group H.E. Tadeusz Pieronek, Bishop of Cracow, Poland Sergio Berlato MEP, Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Rabbi Haim Korsia, Chief Rabbi, Secretary General of the Association of the Rabbinate of France, Member of the National Ethics Advisory Committee Renate Sommer MEP, Member of the Committee on the Civil Rights, Justice and Home Affairs Laura Casorio, General Secretary of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy Amalia Sartori MEP, Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Dr George Tsetsis, Grand Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Mohammed Moussaui, President of the French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM), France Debate Conclusions Part II: Joseph Szájer MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for Parliamentary Work |
| Friday, 20 November 2009 |
| 09.00 - 10.30 | PART III: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND THE PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES Chairman: Carlo Casini MEP, Head of the Italian UDC Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP Speakers: Elisabetta Gardini MEP, Vice-Coordinator and Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Rev. Elia Richetti, Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Venice Giovanni Collino MEP, Member of the Committee on Budget Archon Theophanis Economidis, Member of the National Council of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Ecumenical Patriarchate Mr Wael El-Gayar, Ministry for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Debate |
| 10.30 - 12.00 | PART IV: FROM DIALOGUE TO COOPERATION A NEW OPPORTUNITY OFFERED BY THE LISBON TREATY Chairman: Wilfried Martens, Chairman of the EPP Party Speakers: Alojz Peterle MEP, Member EPP Group in EP, Member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Toufiq, Minister for Religious Affairs of Kingdom of Morocco Friedrich Bokern, Researcher and Lecturer in Institute of Political Studies in Paris and Catholic University of Leuven Rabbi Levi Matusof, Director of the European Jewish Community Centre Antonio Cancian MEP, Member of the Committee on Transport and Tourism H. E. Metropolitan Nifon of Targoviste, Patriarchate of Romania Isidoro Gottardo, President of the EPP Delegation in the Comittee of Regions Martin Kugler, Expert of the Network "Christianophobia", Austria Debate Conclusions Part IV: Alojz Peterle MEP, Member EPP Group in EP, Member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs Final conclusions: Othmar Karas MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP |
