To many of us the escalating situation in Cataluña comes somewhat as a surprise. But when we look into the history of regional government in Europe it should actually not be too strange that the call for more autonomy and even independence is very much alive. In many EU countries the decentralisation of government towards regions has taken place in the last decades and it is in that light not surprising that in 1994 the EU established the Committee of Regions to ensure that the position and needs of regional and local authorities are respected. This does however seem to be in contradiction with the development towards a stronger EU.

In this debate we compare regional developments in different countries of the EU and look more closely into the situation in Cataluña at the moment. What rights do people have when it comes to their sovereignty and how to deal with separatism? Does it undermine the EU and how can and should the EU react?