Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the occasion of the World Day against Death Penalty (10 October)
Press release 412/2006
10 October 2006
On the occasion of the fourth World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union reiterates its longstanding position against the death penalty. No one should be subject to capital punishment. In particular the EU expresses its compassion with individuals who have wrongly been sentenced to death and with their relatives and other indirect victims of death penalty. The European Union considers the death penalty as a cruel and inhuman punishment and a violation to the right to life. Any miscarriage of justice would be irreversible.
The European Union - therefore - opposes the death penalty in all cases and in all circumstances. The European Union remains particularly concerned about the standards of justice, which are used in the application of capital punishment.
The European Union is very pleased to note that the trend towards the worldwide abolition of the death penalty continues. The European Union finds this encouraging as we consider that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights. In cases where the death penalty is not abolished by law, the European Union calls for a moratorium on its use.
The European Union welcomes the abolition of the death penalty in Mexico, the Philippines and Moldova during the past year and the positive developments towards its complete abolition in many other countries.
The European Union expresses its deep concern about the ongoing discussion in some abolitionist countries on reintroducing the death penalty into legislation. The EU expresses its absolute abhorrence of the fact that in a few countries - in clear violation of established international law - minors are still being sentenced to death and executed.
The efforts to abolish the death penalty must continue. The European Union will keep lobbying in various countries around the world in support of abolition. The European Union welcomes initiatives of civil society organisations, such as the third World Congress against the Death Penalty that will be organized by Ensemble Contre la Peine de Mort in cooperation with the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in Paris in February 2007. The European Union views this as an important event that will offer an international platform for institutional and civil society representatives worldwide to advance the abolitionist movement.
On this World Day against the Death Penalty the European Union calls on all governments of the countries which still retain the death penalty to show courage to work towards the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances.
The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process