Campaigns

Between 23rd and 26th May, European citizens will be called to vote in the European elections. In many countries, European elections are considered 2nd class elections and campaigns often focus on national politics or on expressing discontent towards one's government. However, the outcomes of European...

Since February 2015, there have been six deadly attacks on atheist, humanist, and secularist writers, bloggers, and publishers in Bangladesh, all by machete-wielding militants. Their crime? Promoting humanism and secularism, voicing skeptical and rationalist arguments, peacefully calling for justice...

In many countries around the world, "blasphemy" and "religious insult" are still  crimes that can lead to prison or death. The campaign was launched after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France in January 2015 by the EHF and the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and aims at repealing...

Like many other civil society organisations, religious communities are entitled to share their views at the European level. But besides official and moderate representation, extremist religious (mostly Christian) organisations have become very active in EU corridors, trying to impose their ideologically...

In 2014, the EHF campaigned towards EU decision-makers to oppose One of Us, the new European anti-choice offensive on research and maternal health. One of Us was a European petition requesting the "protection of the human embryo" in Europe and the end of EU funding for "activities that assume or...

2013 was a a tough year for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the EU. Opponents worked hard to impede new progressive developments in this area, often relying on religious beliefs. One of their main objectives is to forbid access to legal and safe abortion and contraception for women...

European elections in May 2014 will be crucial for humanists in Europe. The rise of radical populist parties, the persisting societal conservatism in several EU Member States and the extremist religious lobbying at EU level are challenges to the progressive values we defend. In the perspective of...

While populist and extremist movements have been active in Europe over the last decades, they have recently benefited from a variety of issues which they managed to use to their benefit. The economic and financial crisis, security and immigration issues, unpopular European decisions are generally mixed...

On 24 June 2013, the Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers of the EU adopted in Luxembourg the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief. Whilst proclaiming EU’s impartiality towards religion or belief, these Guidelines aim at helping the EU to promote freedom...

Keep Dogma Out of Research was a campaign aiming at securing EU funding for stem cells research in Europe. In 2012 and 2013, European institutions negotiated the Commission’s new proposal “Horizon 2020” which sets the rules for EU funding for research in Europe for the rest of the decade...

In November 2012, the EHF strongly opposed the nomination of the Maltese candidate Tonio Borg as EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer policy. We thought that his ultra-conservative views on a number of societal issues (abortion, contraception, LGBT’s rights) could be damaging for the quality...

This is the story of the origins of the special treatment of religion and the churches in EU treaties, culminating in the obligation for the EU to engage in a regular dialogue with religious and non-confessional organisations.  It is the story of the churches’ campaign for these privileges and...