The EPP Group will request that a debate be held during the Parliament's meeting in early March in Strasbourg with the participation of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs to decide on urgent measures to adopt against Muammar Gadaffi's appalling dictatorship in Libya.

Ioannis Kasoulides MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group who leads the Group's working group on foreign affairs, said: "Only a few times in human history have we witnessed a leader of a nation unleashing such mad, destructive and deadly vengeance against his own people. The developments in Libya, and the indiscriminate and lethal use of force by the Gadaffi regime against the Libyan population constitutes a deplorable and intolerable situation. The bloodshed must stop immediately. Colonel Gadaffi's recent speech can only be considered as an incitement for cold-blooded assassinations. What is happening on the ground is a violation of the International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law and all responsible will be held accountable. In the meantime, the EU must take urgent decisions concerning severe and crippling sanctions against the Gaddafi regime and confer with others in the international community concerning possible measures to be taken by the UNSC. Therefore, the European Parliament should hold a thorough debate with the EU's High Representative and seek to adopt appropriate measures which must address all aspects of the current situation."

The EPP Group Chairman Joseph Daul deplored the loss of possibly thousands of human lives in Colonel Gadaffi's desperate attempt to retain power.

"The use of violence will never lead to peace. The demands of the Libyan people have been heard and understood in Europe and elsewhere in the world. We support their legitimate claim for freedom of speech, the right of peaceful assembly and to freely determine the leadership they want, in line with the fundamental civic rights and respect for human dignity which the European Union is founded on", said the Chairman of the EPP Group, the largest and most influential in the European Parliament.

For further information:

Joseph DAUL MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group, Tel: +32-2-2847525

Ioannis KASOULIDES MEP, Tel: +32-2-2845155

Peter Adler, EPP Group Press & Communications Service, Tel: +32-474-203005

Notes to Editors:

The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 265 Members.