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Until now, the EU was refusing to openly discuss the issue and was stating it was strictly an internal matter to be solved within Spain. The President of the European Commission, José Durao Barroso, admitted that “in the hypothetical case of a secession” of Catalonia “the solution should be found and negotiated within the international legal framework”. In this new scenario, Catalonia would not automatically be a member of the EU but this would be part of the negotiations. Barroso was ambiguous about the future of the European citizenship Catalan citizens currently have and said that “EU citizenship is additional”.

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, presented a road-map with 474 objectives to be reached during his term in office. The Catalan Government’s plan faces three main crises: the economic slowdown, the relationship between Catalonia and Spain, and citizen trust in the democratic institutions. The strategic plan is organised along eight main axes, with economic recovery being the first priority.

Foreseeing a negative decision the Catalan Government already modified the law in 2009. The sentence declares illegal certain aspects of the law approved in 2005, such as conditioning the establishment of large retail centres to the expected effect on existing small businesses in the area or on the market share.

Barcelona is hosting lawyers and legal experts from all over the world this week for the international legal trade fair and the Euro Mediterranean's annual conference for lawyers.

The Catalan Parliament will vote tomorrow on a popular initiative to ban bullfighting in Catalonia. The initiative has spurred great expectation abroad, as well as lively controversy in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.

A new law has just been approved that would give 60,000 people access to health care that previously did not have it. The majority of these individuals are liberal professionals who do not pay social security, members of religious groups, and members of s

Spanish Constitutional Court may finally decide this week on the Catalan Statute of Autonomy. More than three years after its approval via referendum, the Catalan supreme law may be cut by a court dominated by conservative and Spanish nationalist judges.

Head of Catalan Government demands ?respect? for Catalonia and warns of rupture with Spain