Brussels, 01/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - On 28 January, the Portuguese Presidency made the following declaration on behalf of the EU:
"The European Union welcomes the recent decision of the Republic of Cyprus to ratify Protocol No 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the abolition of the death penalty. This is a significant step forward reinforcing Cyprus's commitment to the promotion of Human Rights.
The European Union reaffirms its support for the Council of Europe's position calling for the universal abolition of the penalty and insisting on the maintenance, in the meantime, of existing moratoria on executions in Europe."