Brussels, 25/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The declaration of sovereignty, which was voted through by the Catalan parliament on Wednesday 23 January, has been welcomed by a number of regionalist MEPS who are members of the European Free Alliance (EFA) Group at the European Parliament. They believe that the EU should prepare for the independence of Catalonia. The declaration of sovereignty confirms the Spanish autonomous region's desire for self-determination and its intention to hold a referendum on this in the near future.
Catalan MPs proclaimed their resolve to break away from Spain loud and clear at their meeting on 23 January - the first since the early regional elections were held in November. They adopted a declaration of sovereignty and the right to self-determination by 85 votes to 41, with two abstentions. The EFA Group, which brings together MEPs from Flanders, Scotland, Wales, Corsica, Galicia and Lithuania, welcomed the vote as being “a significant step forward on the path to self-determination”.
Jill Evans (EFA, United Kingdom), François Alfonsi (EFA, France), Ana Miranda (EFA, Spain) and Frieda Breoels (EFA, Belgium) stated that “Europe needs to be ready for the prospect of Catalan independence. The European Commission cannot pretend that this isn't happening nor can they ignore the democratic will of the Catalan people (…) Europe must be ready for constructive dialogue based on the democratically expressed will of the Catalan people.”
The declaration of sovereignty is a resolution - with no legislative value - allowing the parliament of Catalonia to initiate “the process of negotiation by which a majority of Catalonia's elected representatives aim to achieve independence for their nation within the European Union”. Several principles are attached to this intention, like democratic legitimacy and dialogue with the Spanish state, the European institutions and the whole international community, and the defence of the founding principles of the European Union. The Catalan parliament again expresses its support for a referendum on self-determination, which could be held in the next two years. (MD/transl.fl)