Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the legislation abolishing the death penalty in the State of New Mexico

Source: Political and Security Committee (PSC), published on Monday, March 23 2009.

The European Union warmly welcomes the signing by Governor Bill Richardson on 18 March 2009 of the legislation abolishing the death penalty in the State of New Mexico.

The European Union congratulates the Governor and the New Mexico State Legislature on this historic decision, making New Mexico the 15th state in the United States to end the death penalty.

The European Union strongly hopes that this decision will encourage other US States to follow suit.

The European Union considers that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.

The European Union reaffirms its objective of working towards the universal abolition of the death penalty.

"The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina ,  Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Armenia align themselves with this declaration.

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    Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process."