Statement: Commission meets with organisers of European Citizens’ Initiative “One of Us”

On 9 April 2014, the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn today met with representatives of the organising committee of the second European Citizens' Initiative (ECI), One of Us.

The meeting was also attended by the Director General for Research and Innovation, Robert-Jan Smits, and by Deputy Director General for Development and Cooperation, Marcus Cornaro, on behalf of the European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs.

The One of Us campaign, which has been backed by Popes Francis and Benedict, and also by a number of religious organisations, seeks to ban the use of EU funds for research, foreign aid programmes and public health activities that are linked to abortion and reproductive health services in developing countries.

EurActiv reported that the British government had warned European lawmakers that a bid by conservative Christian groups to ban EU funding for activities linked to abortion or the destruction of human embryos could obstruct life-saving operations in the developing world.

EUObserver, 11.04.14: Controversy over citizens' initiative on abortion funding ban http://euobserver.com/news/123822

EurActiv, 17.04.14: UK warns MEPs against evangelical attack on EU development aid http://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/uk-warns-meps-against-evangelical-attack-eu-development-aid-301614

ESO: Background information: Communication From The Commission on the European Citizens' Initiative ‘One of us’ http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-on-the-european-citizens-initiative-one-of-us/

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