The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, formerly the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community, (COMECE) is the association of Catholic Church episcopal conferences in member states of the European Union (EU) which officially represents those episcopal conferences at EU institutions. COMECE holds two meetings of the Plenary Assembly each year, which set out the main lines of its work. The Apostolic Nuncio to the European Communities participates in these meetings. A seminal issue of the European integration process provides the core theme of each meeting. COMECE bishops are delegated by Catholic episcopal conferences in EU member states and has a permanent Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. It was established in 1980 and replaced the European Catholic Pastoral Information Service (SIPECA, 1976–1980). Discussions during the 1970s about creating an episcopal conferences' liaison organization to the European Community led to the decision, on the eve of the 1979 European Parliament election, to establish COMECE.

Objectives

The objectives of COMECE are to: COMECE issues news bulletins and reports in the following "policy areas": Ecology, Energy & Agriculture; Ethics, Research & Health; EU External Affairs; Education & Culture; Justice, Fundamental Rights & Article 17 TFEU; Migration & Asylum; International Religious Freedom; Social & Economic Affairs; and Youth Policies.

Organisation

COMECE's is managed by a standing committee of five, the president, currently Bishop Mariano Crociata of Latina, Italy, first vice president Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon, France, and three vice presidents: Bishops Nuno Brás da Silva Martins of Funchal, Portugal, Rimantas Norvila of Vilkaviškis, Lithuania, and Czeslaw Kozon of Copenhagen, Denmark. The official who runs the office on a day-to-day basis is the General Secretary, currently Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto. The General Secretary is appointed for a three-year term renewable term. Its standing committees include: Commission on Social Affairs; Legal Affairs Commission; Commission on EU External Relations; Working Group on Migration and Asylum; Working Group on Ethics; Working Group on Education and Culture. COMECE is funded by the episcopal conferences in EU member states. Its secretariat is currently made of 10 people.

Leadership