世界潮流已逐漸趨向廢止死刑制度,自一九九五年起,世界上在法律上或事實上廢止死刑的國家數目,已經超越過保留死刑的國家。而自一九九八年起,歐洲地區更是步在時代先端,成為世界上第一個沒有死刑的大陸。歐洲聯盟-這個由歐洲共同體發展擴大而成,主要功能在經濟統合之國際區域組織-此時正式提出死刑政策:一個沒有死刑的世界,成為其外交政策,由執委會的對外關係部門負責,向全世界尚未廢止死刑的國家推廣廢止死刑的理念,在全球廢止死刑運動中注入一股洪流,其豐沛的能量,使全球廢止死刑的理想,在大家樂觀期待中。 本文首先追溯歐洲國家,尤其是歐洲聯盟的會員國,在歷史上如何啟蒙廢止死刑的理想,如何影響歐洲及全世界,并探索歐洲國家自己如何實踐完成廢止死刑之過程。歐洲國家在自己完成廢止死刑的理想後,更堅定了廢止死刑之信念,而欲推廣至全世界。本文繼而探索歐洲聯盟如何由一個經濟共同體轉而關注并致力提昇國際民主人權狀態,且實際投入設計各種計劃與策略,對尚未廢止死刑之國家施壓,成為全球廢止死刑運動之先驅。
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.