On 24 June 2013, the Council of the European Union adopted the Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief, and said the EU will:
ï‚· recall at all appropriate occasions that laws that criminalize blasphemy restrict expression concerning religious or other beliefs; that they are often applied so as to persecute, mistreat, or intimidate persons belonging to religious or other minorities, and that they can have a serious inhibiting effect on freedom of expression and on freedom of religion or belief; and recommend the decriminalisation of such offences.
ï‚· forcefully advocate against the use of the death penalty, physical punishment, or deprivation of liberty as penalties for blasphemy.
Document (PDF, 18 pages)
