On the other hand, the example of Europe, where all states have abolished capital punishment—with the exception of Latvia, where it is allowed only for certain crimes occurring during war time and where nobody has been executed since 1996 (Epps 13)—surely suggests that there is a binding regional custom. Moreover, the Council of Europe and the European Union are strongly opposed to the death penalty; in fact, since mid-1990s, in order to become a member of the Council and of the EU, every country is required to abolish the death penalty (“The Death Penalty under International Law”