EU Statement on the Abolition of Death Penalty

1. The European Union welcomes the thematic debate on the abolition of the death penalty, a matter that goes to the heart of our common European project: the protection of human dignity and the effective enjoyment of human rights by every individual. This shared commitment was reaffirmed in the Reykjavik Summit Declaration of 2023. 

2. The EU reiterates, in the clearest and most unequivocal terms, its strong and active opposition to the use of the death penalty, in all cases and in all circumstances. The right to life and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment should admit no exceptions. 

3. Capital punishment is irreversible and incompatible with the possibility of judicial error. It undermines the very foundations of a humane and rights-based criminal justice system.

4. While the overall global trend continues to move towards universal abolition of the death penalty, we are particularly concerned by the growing resort to the death penalty in some countries, including for offences that do not meet the threshold of the “most serious crimes” under international law. We call on all countries applying the death penalty to abolish it, or to maintain or introduce a moratorium as a first step towards abolition, and on those considering its reintroduction, to refrain from such a step back.

5. In this context, and consistent with our global efforts towards universal abolition, we encourage the United States of America and Japan, observer States to the Council of Europe, and partner countries with whom we share deep historical, political and economic ties, to consider the establishment of a legal moratorium on executions, the commutation of existing death sentences, and a structured process leading to full abolition of the death penalty in law and in practice.

6. The EU also reiterates its strong call on Belarus, the only country in Europe to still apply the death penalty, to stop all executions pending abolition, and to apply the alternative punishment provided for in its criminal legislation. 

7. The EU encourages the remaining Council of Europe member State to ratify Protocol No 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights and to do so as a matter of priority.

8. We welcome CoE’s engagement with other international organisations, national human rights institutions and civil society to promote legislative and policy reforms consistent with the objective of universal abolition of capital punishment. In this regard, the upcoming World Congress against the Death Penalty, which will take place from 30 June to 2 July  2026, in Paris, constitutes an excellent opportunity towards that goal.

9. The EU further supports the CoE’s youth-oriented initiatives, including the “Death is Not Justice” related activities, which help raise awareness among young persons about the right to life and the values of human dignity. The EU remains committed to working tirelessly until the death penalty is consigned to the history books. 

The following countries aligned with this statement: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine and United Kingdom.