Spain’s amnesty law for members of the Catalan independence movement charged with terrorism offences is compatible with EU law, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Thursday.
Neither the EU’s financial interests nor the EU directive on combating terrorism stand in the way of the law aimed at normalizing the situation in Catalonia, the Luxembourg-based judges decided.
The controversial amnesty law was introduced in 2024 by the Spanish government under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to secure the support of Catalan separatist parties.
It triggered sharp controversy in Spain, but the issue has since become considerably less prominent in public debate. More than 300 people have already benefited from the measure.
Former regional president Carles Puigdemont has so far been unable to benefit from the amnesty, however, as the Supreme Court in Madrid does not consider the charge of misappropriation of public funds brought against him to be eligible for amnesty.
The ECJ ruling stems from two cases referred by Spanish courts. One concerns charges against 12 people for terrorist offences, while the other involves liability claims against individuals who allegedly spent Catalan public funds unlawfully, including on the organization of the 2017 independence referendum. Both groups stand to benefit from the amnesty provisions.
The ECJ made clear that an exemption from liability for damage to the Catalan budget does not affect the EU’s financial interests. A purely nationally caused loss cannot have an impact on the EU budget, the statement said.
FILE PHOTO – People hold a huge flag during a protest in support of the use of the Catalan language in the public sector and against bilingualism (is associated with: «Top EU court gives green light to Spain’s 2024 Catalan amnesty law») Matthias Oesterle/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
FILE PHOTO – An exterior view of the Court of Justice of the European Union (Cour de justice de l’Union europeenne) in Luxembourg. (is associated with: «Top EU court gives green light to Spain’s 2024 Catalan amnesty law») Arne Immanuel Bänsch/dpa