World Day against the Death Penalty should spur EU to end killer drug exports

On the 9th annual World Day against the Death Penalty Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford is calling for decisive EU action to ensure that European drugs are never again used in American or other executions.

This comes after the use of a drug produced by a European firm in the recent and controversial execution of Troy Davis. Drugs intended as anaesthetics or treatment of eg epilepsy are being imported by US prisons for lethal injection cocktails after US production ceased.

Sarah Ludford who sponsored a European Parliament 'written declaration' calling for an EU-wide export ban on killer drugs said:

"Today's day has special resonance given the Troy Davis case. Given the serious grounds for considering his conviction a miscarriage of justice European involvement in his execution is a disgrace."

"I am glad that the UK coalition government already acted earlier this year when Business Secretary Vince Cable slapped export restrictions on the drug sodium thiopental to stop its use in US executions. Now we need action at European level to block all loopholes."

"Europe cannot continue the hypocrisy whereby on the one hand we pressurise the US and other countries to end the death penalty but on the other turn a blind eye when our supposedly life-saving drugs are used in a death machine."

Notes to Editors

The World Coalition against the Death Penalty is an alliance of NGOs bar associations and unions and was established in 2002. More information about the organization and today can be found here: http://www.worldcoalition.org/

The text of a Written Declaration (the European Parliament equivalent of a Westminster Early Day Motion tabled by Sarah Ludford MEP against the export of 'execution drugs') is as follows:

Written declaration on the Export of Drugs used for the Death Penalty in Third Countries

The European Parliament: having regard to Articles 6 of the Treaty on European Union Council Regulation (EC) 1236/2005 and Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union- having regard to Rule 123 of its Rules of Procedure

A. whereas the EU has been a global leader in advocating the abolition of the death penalty

B. whereas the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of drugs that certain states use to execute people by lethal injection

C. whereas drugs used in lethal injections are currently not included in Annex III of Council Regulation (EC) 1236/2005 (items subject to prior export authorisation) leaving European pharmaceutical companies free to supply these drugs to third countries that use them in executions1. Calls on the Commission to immediately place on Annex III of Council Regulation (EC) 1236/2005 drugs including but not limited to Sodium Thiopental and Pentobarbital that are sourced in the EU and that can be used in executions in third countries;2. Urges the Commission to regularly review and if necessary revise the aforementioned Regulation's Annexes;3. Instructs its President to forward this declaration together with the names of the signatories to the Commission the Council and the Parliaments of the Member States

1. Calls on the Commission to immediately place on Annex III of Council Regulation (EC) 1236/2005 drugs including but not limited to Sodium Thiopental and Pentobarbital that are sourced in the EU and that can be used in executions in third countries;

2. Urges the Commission to regularly review and if necessary revise the aforementioned Regulation's Annexes;

3. Instructs its President to forward this declaration together with the names of the signatories to the Commission the Council and the Parliaments of the Member States