The European Union has challenged an attempt by the Vatican to reduce the number of abortions in Italy, which is known as one of the most devout Roman Catholic countries in the world.

|TOP|The European Commission has attacked the draft treaty created between Slovakia and the Vatican, which looks to restrict the availability of certain controversial medical treatments, such as abortions and IVF treatment.

The EU lawyers issued a stark warning that the concordat treaty may in fact mean Slovakia would be in breach of its obligations as stated in its agreement to being a member of the EU.

The EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights stated that Slovakia could be “violating its obligations.”

After intensive investigation, the EU panel issued a 41-page report regarding the draft treaty.

According to the proposals between the Vatican and Slovakia, healthcare workers that worked in hospitals founded by the Catholic Church would be allowed to refuse to offer abortions, as well as reject carrying out fertility treatment. The reasons given for these rejections would be on grounds of “conscience”, in that offering such medical treatments would directly conflict with the doctors’ religious beliefs.

|AD|These concerns, however, were backed by the EU group, as it stated that “certain religious organisations” should have the specified right not to perform “certain activities where this would conflict with [their] ethos or belief”.

However, the statement also added that it “is important the exercise of this right does not conflict with the rights of others, including the right of all women to receive certain medical services or counselling without any discrimination.”

Slovakia is one of the core Catholic countries in Europe, with 70 percent of the country claiming to be part of this denomination.

The EU panel further stated: “There is a risk that the recognition of a right to exercise objection of conscience in the field of reproductive healthcare will make it in practice impossible or very difficult for women to receive advice or treatment ... especially in rural areas.”

Since Pope Benedict XVI took up his position as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, he has made it clear that he would like to see the Vatican’s influence increased over the Eastern European nations.

In addition, since the Holy See is officially registered as a sovereign state, if the agreement proposed between the Vatican and Slovakia is passed into law, it would mean that the proposals would qualify as an international treaty.

The EU’s concerns with the agreement were echoed by leading secularists in Britain. Keith Porteous Wood from the National Secualr Society commented, “We welcome this opinion which shows conscience clauses in EU member countries cannot be taken advantage of regardless of the consequences for others.”

He added, “The draft also discriminated in favour of Christians in certain areas to the detriment of those of other faiths or none.”

However, the controversial agreement between the Vatican and Slovakia is just the latest in a line of similar agreements with other nations. Italy, Latvia and Portugal have also entered agreements in the past with the Vatican, although none of these have been as extensive as the one sought after with Slovakia.

Slovakia joined the European Union in May 2004.