EU President Juncker issued a strongly worded response to a question tabled by a PP MEP on whether Catalonia could become independent country recognised by the EU.
The Spanish version of Juncker’s response left no room for doubt – Catalonia could not become independent in the eyes of the EU unless the Spanish parliament permitted it. This was quite a scoop, because the EU has been faffing about refusing to be clear about the matter so far.
In Spanish the EU Presidents response read:
“No le corresponde a la Comisión manifestar su opinión sobre cuestiones de organización interna relacionadas con las disposiciones constitucionales de un Estado miembro en particular.
De conformidad con lo dispuesto en el artículo 4, apartado 2, del TUE, la Unión debe respetar la “identidad nacional [de los Estados miembros], inherente a las estructuras fundamentales políticas y constitucionales de éstos, también en lo referente a la autonomía local y regional. Respetará las funciones esenciales del Estado, especialmente las que tienen por objeto garantizar su integridad territorial.
La determinación del territorio de un Estado miembro está únicamente establecida por el Derecho constitucional nacional, y no por una decisión de un Parlamento autonómico contraria a la constitución de dicho Estado”.
“It is not for the Commission to express its views on issues related to internal organization of the constitutional provisions of a particular Member State.
In accordance with the provisions of Article 4, paragraph 2, of the TEU, the Union must respect the “national identities [of Member States], inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, also with regard to local autonomy and regional. it shall respect their essential State functions, especially those designed to guarantee territorial integrity.
Determining the territory of a Member State is only set by national constitutional law, and not by a decision of a regional parliament contrary to the constitution of the State parliament “.
Trouble was, the official EU Spanish translation was a forgery that didn’t have anything to do with the original English text approved and issued by Juncker!
Juncker’s original English reply simply said:
“It is not for the Commission to express its views on issues related to internal organization of the constitutional provisions of a particular Member State.
I remind the MEP that the matter has been asked before…..” and directed the PP to a series of questions tabled in 2012 by UKIP and some Belgium MP’s. In other words, Juncken refused to be drawn on the matter, as he has been before.
The next question is: who forged the EU statement?
The EU has opened an investigation and has refused to comment. Either the Spanish translation came from a draft letter that was never approved by Juncken’s office (and was sent to the translators in error) or it’s a forgery by someone in the translation office.
Both versions of the letter have been withdrawn pending a clarification by Juncken’s office, and the EU President is said to be “furious” about the error, a serious diplomatic mistake just days before the crucial elections.
The European Commission, I should point out, continues to stand by the findings of the Prodi Committee, which decided that under EU law any region of a EU state unilaterally declaring independence would automatically be excluded from any treaties originally signed by the Mother country. It won’t be drawn on whether a region of a country can unilaterally declare independence and be recognised as a new state by the EU.