The EU Parliament repeats, on the occasion of the European Day against Death Penalty, proclaimed by the Council of Europe to be held on 10th October, "its support to the initiative" and confirms its demand to the UN for a universal moratorium. In opening the plenary session of the Assembly taking place in Brussels today and tomorrow, the president Hans-Gert Poettering will speak in the afternoon on this subject. The session has a tight agenda, with a debate on the forthcoming Lisbon summit (18-19 October) "which explains the EU Parliament in a note should also define the reform of the EU Treaties" in order to "have new institutional rules available before the forthcoming European elections of 2009". The MEPs will discuss with the current presidency of the EU Council (now in the hands of the Portuguese Government) and the top executives of the EU Commission. About this, the EU Parliament will have to discuss and put to the vote a report signed by the MEPs Alain Lamassoure (France) and Adrian Severin (Romania), which establishes the future sharing of the 750 seats as from 2009. (continued)
