European Christian Party

European Christian Party

European Christian Party

European Christian Party Abandons Pro-Life Positions on Euthanasia, Cloning
by Susan Yoshihara and Katharina Rothweiler

Brussels, Belgium (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- The European Parliament's largest umbrella group backed away from its strong pro-life and pro-family positions in a new draft position statement for the 2009 European elections. Members of the mainly Christian Democrat group pushed back last week with a host of amendments aimed at restoring the organization's traditional role of safeguarding human life at the European Parliament. In a position statement released in January entitled "Draft EPP Election Document 2009," the European People's Party (EPP) removed some bedrock principles supporting human life found in their 2004 position statement. The EPP is the largest group in the European Parliament with 288 members from 74 coalition parties, primarily Christian Democrat Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Members of the EPP will use the final version of the statement in the course of campaigning in the upcoming continent-wide elections, scheduled for the 4th through 7th of June. According to the IONA Institute, an Ireland-based pro-life and pro-family non-governmental organization, the EPP dropped explicit opposition to "euthanasia, eugenics, human cloning" which it opposed in its 2004 statement, while retaining language defending "human life in all its forms (including embryos) and at all stages; to respect the human dignity in medical and genetic advancements." Ref.