On 6 December FAFCE’s President Antoine Renard addressed an open letter to the Members of the European Parliament regarding the Estrela Report due to be voted by the European Parliament on Tuesday 10th December:

“Dear Member of the European Parliament,

On Tuesday 10th December you and your colleagues will be invited to vote on the motion for a resolution presented by your colleague Mrs Edite Estrela (S&D) on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. As President of the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe, as a husband and father I wish to express my indignation with regard to this proposal.

The motion for a resolution strongly threatens the principle of subsidarity, on two levels.

First of all, any observer of the parliamentary procedure regarding this report can note how the basic rules of democracy are being trampled upon. After the referral to the committee voted by the plenary on 22 October, the President of the FEMM Committee proceeded by force, allowing no room for debate, nor for amendments to be tabled.

The European institutions do not benefit from much popularity among the citizens in the Member States and that can only evolve through the behaviour of those who are democratically elected to represent the citizens. The interests of lobby groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation seem to explain this lack of procedural respect, not the primary interest of the peoples of our continent.

Secondly, the report recommends direct interference in three areas which are not at all part of the EU competency but belong to the competency of the Member States and the citizens themselves:

The rights of parents, who are the first and primary educators of their children, are violated with regard to sexual education. Indeed, the report considers parents as “stakeholders” among others…

A « right to abortion » is promoted by the report although there is no EU competency on the matter, let alone any common understanding on this sensitive issue.

The report impedes on the right to conscientious objection for medical staff albeit this right is an indispensable guarantee as technological evolutions allow medicine to go ever further thus opening a slippery slope as regards the dignity of every person.

This report is not worthy of the European Union, it is not worthy of the citizens of the EU. Therefore I invite you to consider voting in favour of amendment 2 that fully respects the principle of subsidiarity, and to reject the resolution if this amendment is not adopted.

As European elections get closer we can assure you that families pay particular attention to your voting record and that they will keep it in mind as they go to vote in May 2014.

For a deeper understanding of our position you may find a list of 10 arguments in favour of the principle of subsidiarity, parental rights and human dignity below.

Antoine Renard

President”