European Union to Monitor American Pro-life Groups

June 1, 2003

NewsMax.com's religion editor, Fr. Michael Reilly, details the latest efforts by the European Union to help stymie the pro-life movement.

The European Parliament has announced that it will be monitoring American pro-life groups, with EU officials charging that the American pro-life movement has become too influential in the legislative body.

Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute reports that Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Overseas Development and Humanitarian Aid, has come out against what he describes as a "small group of extremists.”

"The US anti-choice groups are powerful, well-funded and determined. They hold extreme views on religion and sexuality," Nielson complained. "Several of the US groups (Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, International Organizations Research Group, Population Research Institute) have opened branches or have affiliates in Europe.”

Nielson is one of 19 unelected officials who have a voice in funding various EU projects.

The EU bureaucrat also expressed his concern that the US decided to defund the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) because of its support for coercive abortion in China.

Nielson contends that Members of the European Parliament have been influenced to oppose European efforts to support abortion in the third world. While Parliament ultimately rejected amendments opposing abortion and sterilization in the third world, 181 MEPs voted to support them.

In a press release, Irish MEP Dana Scallon called Nielson’s actions "an insult to democracy” and an example of "Big Brother.”

http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2003/6/1/161000