josep maria terricabras

 Pro-independence representatives urge Madrid to "allow the return of exiled politicians and to start a negotiation" with the Catalan government

In Vienna, Josep Maria Terricabras urges EU human rights agency to give its "opinion" on cases of rights' abuse in Catalonia

Regulation obliges member states to set a minimum of 2% to 5% of votes for a candidacy to get a seat in the chamber

Pro-independence MEP denies unionist Societat Civil Catalana’s allegations of “violations” of Spanish speakers’ rights

Representatives of two Catalan parties present question to European Commission alleging “flagrant” breach of rights

The chamber’s Committee on Petitions receives around 40 citizens requests about the political situation in Catalonia

MEPs of the pro-independence party ask the European Commission if voting rights of people abroad "have been violated"

European politicians spoke out against Spain’s disregard for “democracy and human rights”

President of EFA group Josep Maria Terricabras says Catalans will react in a "peaceful but forceful way" if denied a referendum

During his campaign to become President of the EU Parliament, Tajani promised to promote the use of the Catalan

Catalan MEPs from left wing pro-independence party ERC Josep Maria Terricabras and Jordi Solé, and Ramon Tremosa, representing the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) sent a letter to the 751 members of the European Parliament condemning Monday’s sentence against former Catalan government figures over the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, which took place in Catalonia in 2014. They consider “disgraceful and anti-democratic” the sentencing to a two year-ban from holding public office for former Catalan President, Artur Mas and the 21-month and 18-month bans for former vice president Joana Ortega and former Catalan Minister for Education Irene Rigau for allowing the non-binding referendum to take place. The Catalan MEPs assured in their joint letter that the court’s decision “will not deter the Catalans' will to express their views at the ballot box”.

Left wing pro-independence ERC MEP, Josep Maria Terricabras and Catalan European Democratic Party PDeCAT MEP, Ramon Tremosa have urged the EU to respond to the prosecution of the Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell. “Don’t let Spain undermine with all impunity our democratic and fundamental European rights”, stated Tremosa during Monday’s plenary session in the Euro chamber. The debate, held in Strasbourg, included the presence of EU Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jourová, whom Tremosa called on not to be “indifferent to the actions of the Spanish State against Catalan democratic politicians”. Forcadell will be summonsed on Friday by the Spanish authorities for allegedly breaking Spain’s Constitution when allowing the pro-independence roadmap to be put to vote in the Catalan Chamber, last July. Forcadell could potentially be debarred from office and face a fine. 

The Catalan railway network has 126 “black spots” (14.3% of which are in in Tarragona, southern Catalonia), which represent “significant delays for traffic and a risk to safety”, reported the rail national secretary of the union UGT-Catalonia, José Bravo, to the Catalan News Agency. With this in mind, the workers in Tarragona of Adif, the Spanish public body in charge of the railway infrastructure, reported this Tuesday to the European Parliament “the lack of investment and personnel” of the company, which threatens a “strategic sector” and impedes providing a “safe and quality” service in Catalonia. “We share the annoyance of the Catalan Government regarding the Spanish Government’s breaches of its commitments”, said Bravo, who added that the Spanish Government of the Conservative People’s Party (PP) has only executed 4,2% of the 2013 agreement to invest €306 million in Catalonia, the “minimum spending necessary to provide a secure service”.