President Vladimir Voronin pleads for the revision of the Penal Code of Moldova with the aim of decriminalising and humanising the punitive policy of the state, the presidential press service informs, cited by Info-Prim Neo. At a meeting on the application of punishments in Moldova, Vladimir Voronin expressed his surprise and concern about the exaggerated detention punishments for economic and property-related offences, stressing the necessity of immediately reexamining this matter taking into account the legislation and practice of the European states. The meeting participants decided that the Ministry of Justice and the General Prosecutor’s Offices, in concert with national and European experts and in consultation with the Superior Council of Magistrates, will start reviewing the penal norms with a view to modernising and adjusting them to the European standards. A relevant set of proposals will be submitted to the Parliament for consideration by September 1, 2008 A number of 7,895 convicts were held in prisons in Moldova on January 1, 2008. This is 230 prisoners per 100,000 people or two-three times more than in the countries of Western Europe. The relevant statistical data of Eastern European states, of the countries that joined the EU recently or are accession candidates show that the number of detainees in these states is also lower.