RESOLUTION B3-0574, 0600 and 0613/93

The European Parliament,

A.recalling its resolution of 21 January 1993 on religious freedom in Greece and the compulsory declaration of religion on the Greek identity card,

B.having regard to the climb-down by the Greek Government which, following a negative vote in the Greek parliament, withdrew its own amendment which would have abolished the compulsory mention of religion on identity cards,

C.whereas the compulsory mention of religion on identity documents violates the fundamental freedoms of the individual as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights,

D.recalling that Greece is the only Member State to include reference to religious faith on identity cards,

E.recalling that freedom of opinion and religious freedom are part of the foundations of a constitutional state and are the exclusive province of human conscience,

1.Calls on the Greek Government to amend the current legal provisions once and for all to abolish any mention, even optional, of religion on new Greek identity cards and not to bow to pressure from the Orthodox hierarchy and the excessive nationalist zeal developing in Greece at the moment;

2.Considers that the role which religion has played or still plays in any society, however important it may be and without value judgements, in no way justifies the requirement to mention religion on an identity card;

3.Calls on the Council to do its utmost to ensure that Greece complies with democratic principles;

4.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Government and Parliament of Greece.