24/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has expressed its concern at the execution on 14 august in India in the State of West Bengal. Reaffirming its total opposition to the death penalty, the Dutch presidency demanded the Indian authorities, in a declaration, to re-establish the de-facto moratorium, which has existed since 1997. In the long term, the EU hopes that India will abolish the death penalty.