EU Parliament rejects Vox proposal to debate inclusion of pro-independence groups on terror list

The chamber's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs votes against Committees for the Defense of the Republic discussion

European Parliament buildings (by Blanca Blay)
European Parliament buildings (by Blanca Blay) / ACN

ACN | Brussels

November 26, 2019 09:45 PM

The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs has voted against the far-right Vox party's proposal to debate the inclusion of the pro-independence Committees for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) on its list of terrorist organizations.

The chamber rejected the proposal with 53 votes against it, 6 in favor, and 3 abstentions, for which the majority of committee members have heeded their coordinators' recommendations.

Right before the vote, Esquerra Republicana MEP Diana Riba complained that Vox was attempting to "obstruct" the committee's work and argued that "there are no terrorist groups in Catalonia."

Vox had asked the Council of the European Union to include the CDR to its list of terrorist organizations but did not receive a response within the deadline that had been set out.

They were then allowed to ask the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs to discuss the matter according to Parliament rules, but failed to garner sufficient support