26 September 2007 :

Portugal, the current EU Presidency, will present the resolution for the Moratorium on capital punishment between early and mid October. The Portuguese Secretary of European Affairs, Lobo Antunes, indicated this during his response to the European Parliament, in a session dedicated to presenting the initiative to the UN General Assembly.
“The many contacts and initiatives give us hope,” he said, referring to the other nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America that have signed the initiative. “Hopes are gradually improving, because what we are undertaking is a just cause.”
“We've drawn lessons from the past to avoid possible mistakes,” Antunes said, reminding that this is the third attempt for the Moratorium. Unsuccessful attempts were made in 1994 and 1999.
“We must concentrate on the future with determination, knowing that it isn’t an easy task, but it is possible.” He asked the numerous European Parliamentarians that have asked for the presentation of the resolution to have faith in Portugal’s management of a ‘politically complex’ issue.
“With the resolution for the Moratorium on capital punishment at the UN, the credibility of the global struggle’s leaders is under attack. We must be ‘as prepared as possible, and give ourselves time to build trans-regional alliances’.” Antunes said in the interview that the government needed “a certain margin for manoeuvring in order to identify the ideal date for such a complex issue.”
Antunes was criticised by Radical Parliamentarian Marco Pannella, who accused the Presidency of repeating previous mistakes. “If we were in the USA or Great Britain, this would be seen as an offence to the truth, as well as an offence to the Parliament.” “You had to present the proposal yesterday,” Pannella argued. He continued, yelling that this was a scandal, when his speech was interrupted for having gone overtime.