Special Publication: The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area; Background Paper 2009 - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
The European Union (EU) is opposed to the death penalty in all cases and has consistently espoused its universal abolition, working towards this goal. In countries that maintain the death penalty, the EU aims at the progressive restriction of its scope and respect for the strict conditions set forth in several international human rights instruments, under which capital punishment may be used, as well as at the establishment of a moratorium on executions so as to eliminate the death penalty completely. The EU is deeply concerned about the increasing number of executions in the United States of America (USA), all the more since the great majority of executions since reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976 have been carried out during the 1990s through today. The following collection of documents includes key policy statements by the EU, actions on specific death row cases in the US and links to international and other agreements cited in the various documents.
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EU High Rep. Ashton on the De-Facto Moratorium on the Death Penalty Introduced in Oregon (11/29/11)WORLD DAY & EUROPEAN DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY: OCTOBER 10, 2011: EU Committed to Achieving Universal Abolition of the Death Penalty ; The EU and the Abolition of the Death Penalty in the World ; Joint Declaration by EU High Rep. Ashton and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland on the European Day and World Day Against the Death Penalty ; Ambassador João Vale de Almeida's Letter to the Attention of H.E. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Death Penalty, October 10, 2011 ; Ambassador João Vale de Almeida's Letter to the Attention of the Honorable Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States of America on the Death Penalty, October 10, 2011 ; European Union External Action Service on the Death Penalty
WORLD DAY & EUROPEAN DAY AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY: OCTOBER 10, 2010: EU Continues Efforts to Achieve Universal Abolition of Death Penalty ; EU Declaration, October 8, 2010 ; EU Policy against the Death Penalty ; European Parliament Resolution, October 7, 2010 ; European Parliament - Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union - Directorate A - Committees and Multilateral Bodies - SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS: Public Hearing on The World Day against the Death Penalty, Program, Thursday, 14 October 2010 ; European Parliament - Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union - Directorate A - Committees and Multilateral Bodies - SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS: Public Hearing on The World Day against the Death Penalty, Meeting Notes, 14 October 2010 in Brussels ; "The Death Penalty: European Day against the Death Penalty: 10 October," European Parliament Library Briefing, No. 087/2010, September 23, 2010 ; EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty ; Links for Additional Electronic Resources on the Death Penalty ; Films on the Death Penalty ; Death Penalty Abolitionist Short Videos ; "Complicity or Abolition: The Death Penalty & International Support for Drug Enforcement," International Harm Reduction Association ; International Harm Reduction Association: The Death Penalty for Drug Offences and International Support for Drug Enforcement
EU Insight : The European Union: Leading the Fight Against Capital PunishmentEU Leaflet: "Death Has No Appeal " (2007)
3rd World Congress against the Death Penalty, Paris: EU Statement ; European Parliament Resolution (1/31/07)Declaration by the Presidency on Behalf of the European Union to Mark the Entry into Force of Protocol No. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, Concerning the Abolition of the Death Penalty in All Circumstances, July 14, 2003 First World Congress Against the Death Penalty: Intervention at the Council of Europe, on Behalf of External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, Delivered by Angel Viñas, Director for Multilateral Relations and Human Rights, External Relations Directorate General, European Commission, Strasbourg, June 21, 2001 EU Demarche on the Death Penalty, Presented to the US Administration on May 10, 2001 EU Demarche on the Death Penalty, Presented to United States Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights, Frank Loy, on February 25, 2000 EU Memorandum on the Death Penalty, February 25, 2000 Excerpts from a Statement Delivered by the Rt. Hon Christopher Patten, EU Commissioner for External Relations to the European Parliament, 16 February 2000
EU Welcomes UN Vote Calling for a Global Moratorium on the Death Penalty (11/16/07); United Nations Multilateral Resolution Calling for a Moratorium on the Death Penalty UN General Assembly Resolution Adopted ; EU External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner (12/19/07)54th UN General Assembly, Excerpt from the Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tarja Halonen, Presidency of the European Union, September 21, 1999 54th UN General Assembly, Excerpts from the Memorandum by the European Union, September 21, 1999 56th Session, UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution on the Death Penalty Sponsored by the European Union, April 2000
55th Session, UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution on the Death Penalty , Sponsored by the European Union, April 1999
55th Session, UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution on the Rights of the Child , Sponsored by the Group of the Latin American and the Caribbean States and the European Union, April 1999
Action on US Death Row Cases:
2012
2011
Idaho v . Paul Ezra Rhoades: EU Letter to Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter , October 31, 2011; EU Letter to Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole , October 31, 2011
Texas v . Humberto Leal: EU Letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry , June 13, 2011;
EU Letter to Rissie Owens, Texas Board of Pardons , June 13, 2011;
Letter by Jorge Dezcallar, Ambassador of Spain to the United States of America, to Texas Governor Rick Perry. , June 21, 2011;
EU at Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) , June 23, 2011;
US Response to EU Statement at Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) , June 24, 2011
Georgia v. Troy Davis: Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe Press Release "OSCE Human Rights Chief Expresses Dismay about Execution of Troy Davis, Hopes Case will Revive Capital Punishment Debate in the US ", September 23, 2011; Statement by High Representative Catherine Ashton at the UN High Level Symposium on the Execution of Troy Davis , September 22, 2011; European Parliament President Buzek on the Death Sentence of Troy Davis , September 20, 2011; EU High Rep. Ashton on behalf of the EU on the Death Penalty Case of Mr. Troy Davis , September 19, 2011; Letter by Ambassador Vale De Almeida to the Chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles Raising Concerns about the Death Penalty Case of Troy Davis , September 16, 2011; EU High Rep. Ashton on behalf of the EU on the Death Penalty of Troy Davis , June 9, 2011; EU at Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) , June 10, 2011;US Response to EU Statement at Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) , June 10, 2011; Earlier EU Actions
Earlier Cases: 2010 , 2009 , 2008 , 2007 , 2006 , 2005 , 2004 , 2003 , 2002 , 2001 , 2000 , 1998-1999
European and International Agreements :
Council of Europe, Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Concerning the Abolition of the Death Penalty, as Amended by Protocol No. 11
Organization of American States, Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty
United Nations
