19/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg this week, the leaders of all the political groups in the European Parliament, with the exception of the new far right group, gave their backing to a written declaration calling for a universal moratorium and eventual abolition of the death penalty. The text of the declaration was proposed by Italian Radicale MEPs Marco Pannella and Marco Cappato, following the Italian government's recent similar initiative. The declaration can be formally approved by the House once it has been signed by a majority of MEPs. The European Parliament calls on the Council, the Commission and Member States to: - support the submission of a formal request to the General Assembly of the United Nations for the debate on the death penalty to be re-opened; - do all in their power to obtain a positive vote in the UN General Assembly; - promote, on behalf of the EU and its Member States, a resolution for a universal moratorium and ultimate abolition of executions. (hb)