The European Commission has stated that Catalan independence will have
to be negotiated at international level. Jose Manuel Durão Barroso,
President of the European Commission, admitted that in the case of a
Catalan secession the solution should be found and negotiated within
the international legal framework. Until now, the Commission always
refused to say anything about the issue when it was asked, arguing it
was an internal matter that should be solved within Spain and
according to Spanish legislation.
However this time, when Barroso was asked whether Catalan citizens
would automatically lose their status as European Union citizens and
their rights and duties if Catalonia were to become an independent
nation from Spain, he gave an answer. Barroso answered that
international legislation will apply and negotiations at international
level will take place. Also, he said that the European Union
citizenship is additional. With his answer, Barroso admitted that the
claim for independence in Catalonia is not strictly a Spanish internal
matter but an issue at a European and international level.
And hence, Catalan independence process should follow international
legislation, which recognizes the self-determination of peoples, and
not the Spanish legislation, which does not recognize this collective
right, despite it is included in the Human Rights Charter. Therefore,
according to Barroso, the process should follow a tri-lateral
negotiation. However, he said that the new Catalan independent state
would not automatically become a member of the European Union, as it
would have to be negotiated.
In fact, Barroso was ambiguous about the original issue asked. Mara
Bizzotto, Euro-Parliament member from the Italian Lega Nord, asked if
Catalans would immediately lose their status as European Union
citizens and their rights and duties if Catalonia were to become
independent from Spain. The European Commission president said that
European citizenship is additional and does not substitute national
citizenship. He also added that in the case of a Catalan secession the
citizens would continue being protected by international legislation.
http://ritort.net/blog/2012/08/30/catalan-independence-will-be-negotiated-at-international-level/
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