CATALONIA -- Catalonian independence creates EU election issue | EurActiv

Catalonian independence creates EU election issue | EurActiv:

Catalonia’s President is pushing for an independence referendum to be held in November. In spite of the official EU position that this is an internal matter for Spain, leading candidates for the European elections have made comments signalling divisions. EurActiv Spain reports.

In letters dating from December 2013, Catalonia's president Artur Mas
urged European powers to encourage a referendum that the centre-right
government of Mariano Rajoy says is unconstitutional and will not allow [read more].

The president of the EU executive, José Manuel Barroso, answered the
Catalan leader in early January, stating that "the situation in
Catalonia is a Spanish internal matter." “The EU is based on the
treaties, applicable only to the Member States that have adopted and
ratified them. If part of the territory of a Member State ceases to be
part of the State to become a new independent state, the treaties will
no longer be applicable in that area”, he explained.

The President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy also said
that a declaration of independence of Catalonia would transform into a
third country vis-a-vis the EU and thus, EU treaties wouldn’t apply.

Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission, in
February said that although "the Catalans are fervent Europeans," taking
into account the rules of the EU, Catalonia "will be outside the
European Union within seconds of the vote in favor of independence".
Reding expressed respect for the Catalan desire for independence, but
insisted that the process of returning to the Union "would not be
quick", adding that she would regret "a Europe without Catalonia".