The Council for the Republic, the just-launched organization to advocate in exile for Catalan independence, will promote an EU citizen initiative to activate Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union, under which states may have their rights as EU members suspended if they fail to comply with EU values. "And today Spain does not comply," said exiled Catalan minister Toni Comín, as he announced the initiative at the presentation ceremony for the Council for the Republic.
Article 7 of the EU Treaty aims to ensure that all European Union member states respect the common values of the Union, including the rule of law. This mechanism can be activated in case of "a clear risk of serious breach" or of "a serious and persistent breach" of the values stipulated in article 2 of the treaty.
The penalisation mechanism which the Council for the Republic proposes to activate provides that a country in breach can face the suspension of certain rights derived from the application of the treaties, including ultimately the country's voting rights on the European Council.
Comín announced this initiative when he was explaining that the Council will be divided into different areas of action: political, the area which is to begin preparing the Catalan legislative framework; international, to continue the strategy of obtaining recognition abroad; and areas focusing on studies, knowledge and communication.