The Accommodation of Religion or Belief in the Context of EU Integration

The Legal Status of Religious Organisations in Central and Eastern European Countries

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of the protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and the accommodation of religious minorities within Central and Eastern European (CEE) States before and after their integration into the EU. EU integration has impacted the religious landscape of Member States, with the common labour market, increased legal and illegal migrations, and enhanced the protection of religious freedom, contributing to greater religious pluralism and necessitating appropriate accommodations for religious minorities. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the level of religious freedom protection in CEE countries has fluctuated. The legislation and constitutional provisions safeguarding religious freedom have undergone several changes and have been stabilised in the post-EU accession era. This paper argues that even if the European Union respects the legal status of Churches and religious communities as it is established by the national legislation of its Member States, simultaneously with the process of European integration, the development of a cooperationist model of State-religion relations occurred in Central European countries. This transformation was largely motivated by the need to assist Churches and religious communities in overcoming the impacts of decades of persecution and marginalisation under the previous regime. However, even those countries that were among the first to join the EU and have achieved a high level of religious freedom protection, still face challenges in accommodating certain religious minorities.