Conference of European Rabbis Annual Review 2017-2018 (5777-5778) 22 www.rabbiscer.org Mr. Frans Timmermans opened the last conference in Amsterdam by attending the gala dinner and speaking at this dinner. For his part, Mr. Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament and Madam Senior Vice-President of the European Parliament Mrs. Mairead McGuinness have always been attentive to requests of the CER. During this legislature, Mr. Antonio Tajani and Mr. McGuinness organised a series of meetings and symposia addressing issues of ethics and society. Here are some of the decisions taken by the Commission and the European Parliament during this legislature: •  The agreement with major internet providers (Google, Facebook etc.) are now required to erase any racist message or antisemitism within 24 hours after notification. •  The European Parliament voted a resolution to equate antizionism with antisemitism. •  The European Commission is working with Member States to include the decisions taken by the Commission and European Parliament •  Training to sensitise police officers and judges to the history of the Holocaust was undertaken by the European Commission. •  Two major surveys have been carried out by the European Commission among Jews and non-Jews to determine their perception about antisemitism. The results of these surveys allow Member States to become aware of the challenges they face to fight this plague. •  The European Union has become an official partner of the Alliance International on the commemoration of the Holocaust. For all these reasons and especially for the help and support constantly found among the European institutions, the Conference of the European Rabbis awarded the European Judaism Prize this year to Mr. Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament and Mr. Frans Timmermans Vice-President of the European Commission. The CER with this gesture testifies to awardees as well as to the institutions they represent the appreciation of European Judaism. Shechita (religious slaughter) The CER, along with partners including Shechita UK, has lobbied extensively within the EU to guarantee that shechita can continue across the continent. In 2009, EU Legislation 1099 came into effect, following consultation with CER. This permits shechita and has been widely accepted by animal welfare bodies and religious communities. There is a constant stream of questions within the European Parliament regarding religious slaughter and CER looks to meet with key parliamentarians to ensure there is continued support. The European Commission (EC) is supportive of shechita and has sought to focus on best practice, looking at transportation of animals as well as the training of slaughtermen. The CER has maintained a relationship with the EC on these issues and is able to feed the Jewish community’s perspective into the decision-making process. Individual European countries have legislated against shechita, most notably a complete ban introduced in Denmark in 2014 and two regions in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) in 2018. The CER offered support to the local community to fight that ban, offering resources and expertise, as appropriate. Now that the ban is in place the CER continues to look at different options to fight the ban. Similarly, the CER has supported the communities of France, Holland and Greece during their ongoing work to counter threatened legislation. The danger is evident and throughout Europe the CER continues to be vigilant in fighting for the preservation of this fundamental right. U N I O N O F M O H A L I M Please suggest a suitable image here E U R O P E A N PA R L I A M E N T