Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the complete abolition of the death penalty in Moldova

Press release 246/2006
July 17, 2006

The European Union warmly welcomes the Moldovan parliament’s recent vote to remove from the Moldovan Constitution clause 3 of article 24, providing for the death penalty in extraordinary circumstances, as well as President Voronin's approval of the amendment on 10 July 2006, thus abolishing the death penalty in law in Moldova.

The European Union considers that the abolition of death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights. It reaffirms its objective of working towards universal abolition of the death penalty.

The European Union looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Moldova towards promoting our common objective of the universal abolition of the death penalty.

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, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine align themselves with this declaration.

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia  continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.