Presentation to the European Parliament

Date: 24/04/2003
Lieu: Paris

Introducing FECRIS

FECRIS (European Federation of Centres of Research and Information on Sectarianism) was founded on 30 June 1994 in Paris following the International Congress on Sectarianism in Barcelona in 1993. It is a non-commercial association under French law. It declared itself politically, philosophically and religiously neutral as stated in article 2 of its statutes.

Its objectives are:

· Rally representative European associations concerned with contemporary organisations with sectarian and totalitarian characteristics, whether legally constituted or not, whose practices violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, European and national laws.

· Represent the member associations in their contacts with the European institutions in the framework of their defence of families, individuals and democratic societies against the activities of harmful sectarian organisations.

· Alert public authorities and international institutions in the event of punishable activities.

· Participate in the creation of a European legal area with regard to sectarian issues.

· Create an international information network.

· Research and study the legal field of sectarian deviations.

To date the Federation covers 42 associations spread over 26 countries:

Argentina – Australia – Austria – Belgium – Bulgaria – Cyprus – Estonia – Finland – France -Germany – Ireland – Italy – Israel – Malta – Norway – Netherlands – Poland – Russia – Serbia – Slovakia – Sweden – Switzerland – Spain – United Kingdom – Ukraine.