BARCELONA — Europe’s highest court delivered a significant ruling Thursday, finding that a Spanish law granting amnesty to participants in Catalonia’s push for independence does not conflict with European Union regulations — a decision welcomed by the Spanish government and its Catalan political partners.
The amnesty law, passed by Spain’s lower house of parliament in 2024, was the product of a deal struck between the ruling Socialist Party and Catalan separatist groups. That agreement allowed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to remain in power following the 2023 elections, though it drew fierce opposition from conservative political rivals who tried — and failed — to block the legislation.
Thursday’s ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union clarified where member nations stand when it comes to passing amnesty laws under the broader framework of EU rules and regulations.
The court concluded that EU law does not stand in the way of Spain’s amnesty measure, since the decision to adopt and carry out such a law falls within each member country’s own authority.
A judge delivering the verdict explained the court’s reasoning, saying it “does not oppose a law which, in order to reduce institutional and political tensions and facilitate a process of reconciliation, provides for the extinction of criminal liability.”
Despite largely siding with the amnesty law, the court drew one clear boundary. It ruled that the law cannot force Spanish courts to lift accounting responsibilities or preliminary proceedings within a two-month window if those cases are still waiting on a decision from the EU court itself.
