Religious leaders discuss migration, integration and European values

The Commission today hosts the 12th annual high-level meeting with religious leaders from across Europe. This year's meeting is dedicated to migration, integration and European values.

Today, the Commission's First Vice-President Frans Timmermans i, together with European Parliament Vice-President Antonio Tajani i, welcomed several religious leaders from across Europe in Brussels to discuss migration, integration and European values. Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos i also took part in the event.

The discussions ranged from the challenges posed by populism and intolerance to the vital role of education and grassroots outreach in improving integration and social cohesion in Europe. The leaders agreed to work closely with the Commission to ensure European values are embraced in the context of migration and integration.

The meeting took place within the framework of the ongoing dialogue with churches, religious, philosophical and non-confessional organisations as enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty (Art 17 TFEU) and followed an annual meeting with philosophical and non-confessional organisations, which took place on 30 June 2016.