Abstract

Global trend towards abolishing the death penalty system has gradually, since 1995, the world abolished the death penalty in law or fact, the number of countries, has been retained beyond the death penalty. Since 1998, the European region is the step in the era of tip, there is no death penalty to become the world's first continent. European Union - the development of this expansion is made ​​by the European Community, the main function in the economic integration of international and regional organizations - this time a formal policy of the death penalty: a world without the death penalty, as its foreign policy, by the Executive Committee of External Relations department, the world has not yet abolished the death penalty is to promote the idea of abolishing the death penalty, abolish the death penalty movement in the world into a flood, and its abundant energy, ideal for the global abolition of the death penalty, in the optimistic expectations of everyone. This first retrospective European countries, particularly the European Union Member States, in the history of how the Enlightenment ideal of abolishing the death penalty, how it affects Europe and the world, and to explore how the practice of European countries to complete their process of abolishing the death penalty. European countries abolished the death penalty in his complete ideal, the more determined to abolish the death penalty conviction, and wish to promote to the world. This then explore how the European Union, an economic community turned its attention and efforts to enhance the international status of democracy and human rights, and the actual design of a variety of investment plans and strategies, the countries have not yet abolished the death penalty put pressure on the world's pioneer in abolishing the death penalty movement. Statistics indicate a world trend towards the abolition of the death penalty. Since 1995, the number of countries abolishing the death penalty de jure and de facto has outnumbered those of countries retaining it. In 1998, Europe became the first continent to be entirely free of the death penalty. Upon this time, the European Union-an expansion from the original European Community with its primary function in economic integration-proclaimed its policy on the death penalty: a world without the death penalty. The responsibility of enforcing this policy was assigned to the External Relations Commissioner of the EU Commission, under the "Budget Title B7-7 External Actions". The purpose of this policy is to advance the cause for worldwide abolition of the death penalty. This article will first attempt to trace the historical backdrop in Europe from the Enlightenment age that culminated in the ideal and theory of the abolition of the death penalty and the different process in various EU member countries completing their abolition of the capital punishment. Then it will further probe the EU's transformation from focus on trade and economic issues toward inclusion of democracy and human rights agenda. Finally it will delineate how the EU established its policy towards third countries on the death penalty, and initiated strategies and guidelines for abolishment of the death penalty in the world, taking a leading role in the world coalition against the death penalty