18/02/2019 (Agence Europe) – The President of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Quim Torra, and the former Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, were forced on Monday 18 February to hold a conference at the Steigenberger Wiltcher's in Brussels, following a refusal by the European Parliament's highest authorities to host this event, officially for security reasons. According to the Politico website, the Spanish delegation of the EPP group reportedly urged European Parliament President Antonio Tajani to cancel this conference and the visit of the former Catalan pro-independence president who was being prosecuted by the Spanish courts for organising the referendum on Catalonia's independence. Organised by Ralph Packet (ECR, Belgium) and Ivo Vajgl (ALDE, Slovenia), the event focused on the European Union's position on the ongoing trial in Spain against Catalan independence political leaders (see EUROPE 12192). (PH)