The European Parliament opened the debate on a new...

The European Parliament opened the debate on a new motion calling on the Italian presidency to present at the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York a resolution for a worldwide moratorium on executions.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, at the start of the debate, expressed the Italian government's willingness to proceed but reiterated that there are doubts among the European partners. For this reason he requested an authorisation from the European Parliament to go ahead even against the advice of the European partners.
European Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten opposed the presentation of the moratorium resolution to the General Assembly echoing the arguments of NGOs contrary to the Italian proposal that a debate at the GA could prove a setback for the EU's final goal of abolition.
MEP Marco Pannella, HOC's President, speaking during the debate, called on the Italian Presidency to go ahead with the presentation of the moratorium resolution and not continue to hide behind the alibi provided by the doubts of the European partners or seek further pretexts to avoid assuming the responsibility that the European Parliament was asking him explicitly to assume for the second time.
All the other MEPs intervening in the debate expressed themselves in favour of pro-moratorium initiative at this year's General Assembly.