19/10/2018 (Agence Europe) – Visiting Belgium against the backdrop of the crisis between Flanders and Spain, the Catalan councillor for external action, Ernest Maragall, met the president of the Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, on Thursday 18 October. Maragall put the Catalan case to the European institutions. He spoke in favour of restoring the European federal project with strengthened decentralisation towards the regions and cities, setting out the detail of the concept of "internal enlargement" that would enable the accession of regions to the EU. Maragall also met members of the Greens/EFA and S&D Groups at the European Parliament. When asked by EUROPE, he said he hoped to enter into direct contact with the high levels of the European Commission – currently very cautious (see EUROPE 12096), although he has contacts inside. (PH)