By Martin Banks - 9th June 2011
This loophole shamefully permits European collusion in executions
Sarah Ludford
A campaign has been launched to ban the export from the EU of drugs used for executions.
EU law prohibits European companies from exporting products intended to be used in executions or torture.
But no export check is done on 'dual-use' drugs such as sodium thiopental and pentobarbital.
These have a legitimate medicinal use, but have also been used to numb or even kill a person subject to the death penalty.
UK Liberal deputy Sarah Ludford has now tabled a parliamentary written declaration to make such exports subject to controls. MEPs have until 6 October to sign the written declaration.
She is backed by three other MEPs, Simon Busuttil, Ana Gomes and Heidi Hautala.
Ludford said, "The EU leads the global effort to abolish the death penalty, but this loophole shamefully permits European collusion in executions that we condemn. It’s time for some joined up Euro-government."
"Organisations like Reprieve and Amnesty have done great work in raising this issue.
"I'm delighted that the UK's coalition government has already taken action and banned exports to the US of four lethal injection drugs."
"Now the EU as a whole needs to do the same. We want a resounding majority of MEPs to sign this declaration, so that the European commission is obliged to tell us how it will clamp down on the scandal of EU companies selling drugs to executioners."
Further comment came from Clive Stafford Smith, director of human rights NGO Reprieve, who said, "We need to make sure that the shameful sight of drugs from the UK – or any other European country – being used to kill prisoners is never seen again."
"The EU as a whole needs to follow Britain's lead in banning the export of drugs for use in executions."
"This will also send a strong signal to companies like Lundbeck, who are supplying execution drugs inside the US that unless they change their ways their reputation will be ruined."
