EU Push for World to End Death Penalty at Lisbon Conference

Speaking at the conference "Europe against the Death Penalty" in Lisbon today, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso reiterated the European Union's strong opposition to the death penalty.

"The European Union is unreservedly opposed to the use of capital punishment under all circumstances and has consistently called for the worldwide abolition of this punishment," said President Barroso. "The death penalty is against human dignity. We want to give visibility to the efforts of the many non-governmental organizations and individuals who strive, day after day, towards the abolition of the death penalty."

In line with its common foreign policy objective to develop and consolidate respect for human rights, the EU has become the lead institutional actor in the world against death penalty. In June, the EU introduced a resolution at the UN General Assembly proposing a world-wide moratorium on executions.

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