Brussels, 12/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - On 10 October, the Dutch presidency published in the name of the EU, the following declaration. "During the second world day against the death penalty, the EU points out its opposition to the death penalty, which it has done so for a long time. the EU considers that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the strengthening of human dignity and the gradual development of human rights. It believes that the death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment. The death penalty has no dissuasive effect and can result in irreversible miscarriages of justice. This is why all the countries of the EU have abolished it. The reasons, however, for abolishing this kind of punishment are valid for everyone throughout the world. the universal abolition of the death penalty, in peacetime as in war, is therefore a position vigorously defended by all Member States of the EU. The EU calls on all countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty to do so and in the meantime, create a moratorium, which will mark the first step towards its abolition. The EU welcomes the trend in the world going in the direction of abolition and is happy that the international community excluded the use of the death penalty when it set up the international tribunals and the International Criminal Court, which have the powers to judge the most serious of crimes, such as genocide and crimes against humanity. With regard to the countries still using the death penalty, the EU insists that the field of application of this punishment be reduced and that minimum standards listed in international instruments on human right are respected. More particularly, the EU calls on all countries to refrain from suing the death penalty on young wrongdoers or the mentally ill.
The EU is pleased that organisations from civil society have taken the initiative to organise a world day against the death penalty, which took place for the first time in 2003. The EU adheres by the objectives of this initiative, which are to encourage public debate, strengthen public opposition to the death penalty and encourage countries that maintain it to put an end to executions and abolish the death penalty. The EU's political commitment in favour of the abolition of the death penalty in the whole world is supported by funding from the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights".