The European Parliament has this Friday informed Catalan politician Oriol Junqueras that he is no longer an MEP, in accordance with the position of Spain's Central Electoral Commission and Supreme Court, despite the Court of Justice of the EU deciding last month he should have had immunity as an MEP since before the summer.
In a statement, president David Sassoli says that Junqueras's mandate ended on 3rd January this year, the day Spain's Central Electoral Commission published a ruling banning him from office. He argues that the Parliament is "obliged to take note without delay of the final decisions of the competent judicial authorities of the Member States."
Sassoli's statement
"Following the judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union in case C-502/19, Junqueras Vies, of 19 December 2019, the mandates of Mr Junqueras i Vies, Mr Puigdemont i Casamajó and Mr Comín i Oliveres started on 2 July 2019 on the basis of the official declaration of the results of the elections by the competent Spanish authorities.
"However, taking into account the decision of the Junta Electoral Central of 3 January 2020 and pursuant to the decision of the Tribunal Supremo of 9 January 2020, the mandate of Mr Junqueras i Vies terminated with effect on 3 January 2020.
"It follows from the case-law of the Court of Justice that the European Parliament is obliged to take note without delay of the final decisions of the competent judicial authorities of the Member States.
"Therefore, I will announce in plenary on Monday 13 January 2020 the start of mandate of the three Members on 2 July 2019 and the termination of the mandate of Mr Junqueras i Vies on 3 January 2020. I will ask the competent Spanish authorities to quickly notify to Parliament the name of the new Member."