Contenuti per la categoria: Diritto ecclesiastico europeo

Son passati quasi trent’anni dacché tra le varie dichiarazioni apposte in calce al trattato di Maastricht comparve abbastanza inaspettatamente quella che impegna l’Unione Europea al “dialogo trasparente, costante e regolare” con “le chiese e le associazioni o comunità religiose” non più e non meno, tuttavia, che con le “organizzazioni filosofiche e non confessionali”. Dichiarazione apparentemente innocua, giacché espressamente si esclude che da essa possa essere pregiudicato lo status a quelle organizzazioni assegnato dai diritti nazionali, ma politicamente impegnativa per l’Unione, tanto che fece strada e si riversò nell’art. 17 del TFUE, assumendo così un carattere anche giuridicamente impegnativo. (segue)

Non-believer’s Europe

ABSTRACT: In spite of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which puts on the same footing the status of the churches and of the humanist organizations, the status  of believers and non-believers is not the same in each state, regardless its model (the paper quotes briefly the features of United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany  and Malta). The reason lies in a kind of mass religious tradition, which at present is even more hard to defeat because of the rampant populism, which takes advantage also of the religion. The antidote stays in the pluralistic – not monist and excluding the differences -  secularism in order to grant the same dignity of believers also to both differently believers and non-believers.

SOMMARIO: 1. Autonomia delle organizzazioni religiose e diritti dei singoli: il problema ‘classico’ del contemperamento - 2. Il problema del contemperamento dinanzi alla Corte di giustizia. I casi Vera Egenberger e JQ: stessa narrativa per due gemelli (in parte) diversi? - 3. Il profilo sostanziale delle decisioni: le dimensioni della libertà religiosa e il principio di non discriminazione - 4. Il profilo ordinamentale: Carta dei diritti e principi generali del diritto dell’Unione europea nel rapporto fra sistemi.

Collective religious freedom and principle of non-discrimination in the ‘constitutional’ system of the European Union

ABSTRACT: In the two recently handed down Judgments in the cases Vera Egenberger and JQ, the Court of Justice of the European Union for the first time interpreted Article 4, par. 2 of the Anti-discrimination Framework Directive (Directive 2000/78/EC) admitting a ‘religious exemption’ in favour of Churches and other religious organisation, and ruled on the horizontal application of the right not to be discriminated against in situations coming within the scope of EU law. The paper explores the substantive implications of those Judgments for the collective religious freedom and their contribution in clarifying the horizontal direct effect of the fundamental rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Il 28 settembre 2018, presso l’Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, si è tenuto un convegno internazionale co-finanziato dall’Unione Europea, che ha visto la partecipazione di giovani studiosi delle più diverse discipline giuridiche, italiani e stranieri. I relatori, selezionati in seguito ad una “call for papers”, cui è stata data ampia pubblicità in Italia e all’estero, si sono confrontati sul tema del pluralismo religioso nel sistema europeo e, soprattutto, nella recente giurisprudenza delle Corti sovranazionali. (continua)

SUMARIO: 1. Introducción - 2. Libertad religiosa y celebración de las festividades religiosas - 3. La neutralidad ideológico-religiosa de los centros educativos públicos - 4. Celebración de festividades religiosas en la escuela de titularidad pública - 4.1. Celebración de festividades que presentan un significado religioso y una tradición cultural - 4.2. La respuesta de los Tribunales de Justicia en materia de celebraciones religiosas - 4.3. Algunas claves para la solución de estos conflictos - 5. Celebración de las festividades religiosas en el horario escolar - 5.1. Marco jurídico de las festividades en el ámbito escolar - 5.2.  Discriminación de los grupos religiosos minoritarios - 6. Consideraciones finales: la acomodación razonable de las creencias religiosas.

Neutrality, diversity and celebration of religious festivities in public schools

Abstract: This paper analyzes some legal conflicts derived from the celebration of religious festivities in ​​the public school. On the one hand, the celebration of certain festivals that, while showing a cultural tradition, at the same time, present a religious meaning, mainly of Christian inspiration. On the other, when permission is requested to celebrate and commemorate such festivities during school hours. Beyond the concrete problem, it is important to start from the position of inclusive neutrality that public authorities must adopt to manage the religious diversity that manifests itself in this specific area and which, in turn, is the best way to guarantee the right of parents to choose the education they wish for their children.

SOMMARIO: 1. Le possibili implicazioni religiose di una “stretta di mano” - 2. Il caso sottoposto all’esame dei giudici svedesi - 3. La pronunzia del 15 agosto 2018, n. 51, del Tribunale del lavoro svedese e la questione della ricorrenza di una “pratica religiosa” meritevole di tutela - 4. (segue) La verifica dei presupposti di una “discriminazione indiretta” - 5. L’esperienza d’Oltreoceano - 6. Identità religiosa e (dis)uguaglianza di genere - 7. La diversa incidenza, nella fattispecie esaminata, del divieto di discriminazione per motivi religiosi e del principio della parità di genere - 8. Conclusioni: la libertà religiosa della lavoratrice e i margini lasciati alle scelte di politica aziendale della società.

Dealing with the contentious points of the integration (about “forbidden” greetings and principle of non-discrimination)

ABSTRACT: Some Islamic believers adhere to a rule of behavior coming from a particular reading of the traditions concerning the life of Muhammad, so they do not shake hands with people of the other sex outside their own restricted family circle. The present paper analyzes the potential impact of such a choice, if it is carried out in the work context and it infringes specific internal company rules, which require employees to not discriminate against customers on the basis of sex. The Author, in accordance with a recent decision of the Swedish Labor Court, affirms that the limitation of the freedom of the worker can be considered a case of indirect discrimination for religious reasons. However, demanding that the woman abstains from shaking hands with persons of her own sex, as suggested by the Court, is not required by the principle of gender equality, and is not coherent with the very personal nature of the act, according to the Author.

SUMARIO: 1. Introducción - 2. La prohibición de la blasfemia en el marco de una Constitución de clara inspiración católica - 3. El cuestionamiento de una norma de tan dudoso encaje en el sistema constitucional de derechos y libertades - 3.1. Las críticas en general al régimen constitucional de las confesiones religiosas - 3.2. La controversia específica en torno a la prohibición de la blasfemia en la Constitución irlandesa - 4. Algunas conclusiones y una razonable expectativa.

The controversial offence of blasphemy in the Irish Constitution

ABSTRACT: As recently as June 2018 the Irish Government has approved a referendum to remove the offence of blasphemy from the Constitution; the referendum will be held in October this year. This paper briefly examines the historical and legal backgrounds of this controversial prohibition that survived the 1972 reform of the constitutional provisions in the field of Church and State that, among other aspects, conferred a special position to the Catholic Church, and it does so in order to underline the importance and the potential consequences of the proposed reform in case of an affirmative vote in the upcoming referendum. For this analysis the author gives prior consideration to the fundamental meaning and scope of the constitutional provisions currently in force in the area of Law and Religion and, once this framework is summarized, the paper turns to reflect primarily on the legal and judicial developments that have taken place in the last decades relating the offence of blasphemy in Irish Law.

SOMMARIO: 1. La presenza religiosa nella sfera pubblica - 2. La libertà religiosa collettiva nella CEDU - 3. La condizione giuridica delle confessioni religiose nel diritto della UE - 4. Identità confessionali e identità nazionali europee - 5. Il ruolo “pubblico” delle istituzioni religiose negli Stati europei - 6. In particolare: a) la rilevanza costituzionale dei soggetti confessionali in Germania - 7. Segue: b) la condizione giuridica delle confessioni religiose in Italia.

Public relevance of religious communities in the European legal dimension

The religious phenomenon appears relevant both on an individual level and on a social level. In many cases religious experience, on the one hand, helps to draw the personal identity of the subject; on the other, it is an element that characterizes various aspects of civil society, up to the influence of the political and institutional dynamics of many contemporary state systems. This paper intends to demonstrate that the religious phenomenon does not appear confined only in the strictly private sphere, but lives and manifests itself also in the public dimension. This approach seems to be confirmed, among other things, by the new public role that religious communities are progressively taking on in the European legal sphere, as well as within individual state systems in Europe. From the analysis of the rules in force both at the European and national level, this work therefore derives a significant legal recognition of the public relevance of religions and religious communities that are direct institutional expression, paying particular attention to the experience gained in the German law and in the Italian legal system.

SOMMARIO: 1. La direttiva europea 2000/78/CE e le organizzazioni di tendenza - 2. Il caso Egenberger c. Evangelisches Werk dinanzi alla Corte di giustizia - 3. La sindacabilità dei provvedimenti confessionali in materia di lavoro - 4. I controlimiti alla disapplicazione della direttiva - 5. L’obbligo giudiziario di conformazione del diritto nazionale a quello europeo - 6. Il divieto di discriminazione sul lavoro alla stregua della Carta dei diritti del cittadino europeo.

No difference of treatment on grounds of religion or belief and religious organizations

ABSTRACT: It’s the first time that the Court of Justice E.U. deals with the limits of the exemption from ban on discrimination on grounds of religion or belief in favour of organisations the ethos of which is based on religion or belief. The German law implemented softly the directive 2000/78/CE favouring that ethos, as interpreted by those organizations, and consequently limiting the judicial review merely to its plausibility. Viceversa according to the European Court the religion or belief must constitute a genuine, legitimate and justified occupational requirement, having regard to the organisation’s ethos and the proportionality principle (even though not explicitly recalled by the directive). So an exhaustive judgement allows an objective, not spiritualistic, evaluation of the occupational activities and therefore a stronger legal protection of workers under articles 10, 21 and 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

SOMMARIO: 1. Esigenze di uniformazione delle fonti europee di diritto derivato e protezione del principio di favor religionis nella Carta costituzionale italiana. Alla ricerca di un punto di equilibrio - 2. Possibilità e limiti di esenzione dalla normativa europea circa il trattamento dei dati personali intraconfessionali - 3. Ammissibilità di soluzioni normative confessionali ‘complete’ e ‘conformi’ al regolamento europeo ... - 4. … e di un intervento dello Stato volto al ripristino della legalità costituzionale - 5. Gli strumenti di tutela: il ruolo dell’autorità di controllo nazionale e di un’ipotetica authority confessionale nella prospettiva di un coordinamento interordinamentale necessitato.

Protection of sensitive religious data and confessional autonomy. Reflections for an interpretation secundum Constitutionem of the European regulation n. 2016/679

ABSTRACT: The contribution proposes an interpretation in conformity with the Italian Constitution of the European regulation n. 2016/679 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, which will be applied in the Member States from 25 May 2018. An interpretation that protects the constitutional principle of confessional autonomy and the fundamental rights and freedoms of the person, reconciling them when necessary.

SOMMARIO: 1. Introduzione - 2. Europa dei cittadini e identità politica del processo di integrazione continentale - 3. Spazio politico europeo, libertà religiosa e laicità - 4. Conclusioni.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of the European Union law and of the right to religious freedom lies in the global process of internationalization of fundamental rights, the transformation of relations between States, the modification of the idea of ​​sovereignty, the emergence of new conventional instruments. With reference to the European social and legal space, the transformation of the European Economic Community into a real political union has allowed the inalienable human rights of the people to become central in the process of integration. Because of that, the political and legal system of the European Union, characterized by the transition of the State monopoly of sovereignty to its sharing among different subjects, has affected the reality of relations between public powers and religious phenomenon. A particular configuration of the concept of secularism in the European continent has been established, by virtue, which the values of democracy, pluralism, human dignity and non-identification between public functions and religious experience would allow for peaceful coexistence between religion, institutional activity of the European Union and fundamental freedoms.