16 March 2007 :

Last night, the ALDE group (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) approved a proposal to raise an oral question in the European Council and in the European Commission. The proposal was the initiative of ALDE President Graham Watson and the radical MPs Marco Pannella and Marco Cappato, to overcome existing reservations and the European Governments' "fear of winning".
The group aims to ensure the current UN General Assembly approves a universal moratorium on capital punishment, something that has already been been requested by the European Parliament, the Commission, the Italian Parliament and the Council of Europe.
The ALDE group asked “why a document for a resolution hasn't been submitted to, or prepared for, the UN General Assembly?” “What efforts and actions are being taken by the Commission, the Council and the member States to not waste an opportunity of such historical magnitude for the improvement of human rights worldwide? And one that is also unique in the high support of public opinion.”
This morning, the EP Conference of Group Presidents approved the debate with the Commission and the Council in the next Plenary Session in April, which will close with a vote for the resolution.