ONE MILLION EUROPEANS
TO DEFEND HUMAN LIFE AND DIGNITY
The European Citizen’s Initiative “One of us” is presented, the first one of these initiatives that foresees the juridical protection of human life and dignity
On Friday 18th January, the European Citizen’s Initiative “One of us” has been presented in the European Parliament Office in Madrid. This initiative stems from the civic society and promotes a culture of life in today’s Europe, focussing each person in his incomparable dignity.
The Citizen’s Initiative it’s a novel legislative instrument of the European Union, which comes from the civic society, aimed at bringing the European Union institutions closer to citizens, reducing the democratic system deficit the EU has been often being accused of.
Initiative contents
The Initiative promoters look forward to collecting, at least, one million signatures to claim the EU the defence of the dignity, the right to life and the integrity of every human being from conception, in the line indicated by the EU Court decision of the Brüstle/Greenpeace case in 2011, where it was recognized in the embryo the start of the human being development. For this reason, the EU is asked to promote the establishment of the appropriate control instruments for the public funds use, overseeing the protection of the embryo in the public health, the intellectual property, the research funding and the cooperation for development fields.
In particular, the EU law-makers are asked to include a new budgetary principle of coherence in the EU, i.e. that “no budget-depending project could be approved for the funding of activities which will destroy human embryos or which assume their destruction is produced”. Moreover, the modification of the “ethical principles” in the research issues covered in the Framework Program of Research and Innovation of the EU (2014-2020) “Horizon 2020” is also asked. Finally, the modification of the objectives of the Financing Instruments of the Cooperation for Development is also foreseen, so that the EU aid would be granted only if a prior respect of the embryo’s life is guaranteed.
The Initiative promoters
The Initiative has been promoted by a Citizen’s Committee composed of people from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, Hungary and Poland, with the support of some personalities and organizations in all Member States of the EU. The Spanish representative of the Citizen’s Committee, Alicia Latorre, president of the Spanish Federation of Pro-Life Associations, participated in the launching event of the Initiative in Madrid, as well as representatives of the Initiative inspiring organizations in Spain: Fundación Valores y
Sociedad, Foro Español de la Familia, HazteOír, Fundación RedMadre, Derecho a Vivir, S.O.S. Familia, CideVida and the Fundación Tepeyac.
Moreover, there were also several politicians coming from all organisms of citizen representation, both at National and European level, enhancing the civic support to the Initiative: Jaime Mayor Oreja, from the European Parliament, Eugenio Nasarre and Carlos Salvador, of the Spanish Lower House, or Luis Peral, from the Spanish Senate.
This novel initiative is present in all European countries through the following institutions and persons: Jonos Juškeviius (Lithuania, The Lithuanian Cultural Psychiatry Association), Johan Lundell (Sweden, ProVita & Ja till Livet), Paul Vincenti (Malta, Gift of Life), Gudrun Kugler (Austria, Lebenskonferenz), Bran Godeau (Belgium, Jeunes pour la vie-JPV), Josef Lelinek (Czech Republic, Obcanske Sdruzeni Onz), Ellzen Wibe Høslund (Denmark, Retten til Liv), Varro Vooglaid (Estonia, Elukultuuri Instituut), Ignacio García-Juliá (Spain, Foro Español de la Familia), Tomaj Sokol (Slovenia, Iskreni.net), Maria Hildingsson (Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe), Paul Defermon Ginoux (France, Union pour la Vie), Maria Philippe (France, Billings France and IVG.net), Lola Velarde (Spain, Institute for Family Policy), Michael Van der Mast (The Netherlands, Schreeuw om Leven/Cry for Life), Figallo Micallef (Malta, EDRIC +9STUDENTI), Miriam Izquierdo (Spain, Fundación Madrina), Réka Deuten-Makkai (Romania, Transylvanian Reformed Church), Peter D. Williams (United Kingdom, Right to Life), Francisco V. Cunha (Portugal, Associação Portuguesa de Famílias Numerosas), Marek Michalcík (Slovakia, Fórum života/Forum for Life), Katarina Michalcík (Slovakia, Fórum života/Forum for Life), Pino Morandini (Italia, Movimento per la Vita-Mpv), Elisabetta Pittino (Italia, Movimento per la Vita-Mpv), Antonio Jesus Mellado Rosique (Belgium, The Family Watch), Anna Kovarova (Slovakia, Donum Vitae), Isilda Pegado (Portugal, Federação Portuguesa pela Vida), Daniela Paun (Romania, “Darul Vietii” Bucuresti)
The deadline for the collection of signatures will be extended until the 1st November 2013.
Related links
Registration of the Initiative “One of us” in the European Commission:
http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/initiatives/ongoing/details/2012/000005?lg=es Official web page of the Initiative: oneofus.eu
Spanish web page: www.unodenosotros.eu
Social networks:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/unodenosotros.eu Twitter: @unodenosotros1
Further information: Óscar Pezuela | unodenosotros@oneofus.eu | 638300280
