Relações UE-religião: proposta de sistematização das fases de relação entre instituições europeias e igrejas e comunidades religiosas

The relationship between European institutions and churches and religious communities has not been free of conflict and has undergone a myriad of revisions and recompositions over the decades. This article thus proposes a systematization of the relations between European institutions and churches and religious communities in European Union Member States. Through a descriptive and qualitative methodology, the four phases of the European Union-religion relationship are analyzed: marginalization, experimentation, institutionalization, and global action. It is concluded that, despite the initial phase of neglect, there has been a gradual institutionalization and deepening of these relations, whose goal is to strengthen the effectiveness of the European Union’s global action.