Brussels 22 September: Spain pushes Catalan EU status

Spain will put Catalan back before European Union ministers in Brussels on 22 September, seeking official EU status for the language before the bloc takes in new members. The request also covers Galician and Basque. No decision is expected at the General Affairs Council meeting.

Fernando Sampedro, Spain’s Secretary of State for the European Union, says Madrid wants the issue settled before enlargement brings fresh official languages into the EU’s language rules. Albania and Montenegro are the most advanced candidates for membership.

Spain is a strong supporter of enlargement, Sampedro said, but believes the expectations of 20 million Europeans should be met first. Catalan, Galician and Basque have been official languages in an EU member state for around 40 years.

A unanimous vote remains out of reach

Spain needs every one of the 27 member states to agree. It first asked for the three languages to be added to the EU language rules in August 2023, but its latest push in July 2025 stalled over objections from several countries, led by Germany.

The 22 September agenda item gives Spain only a short chance to set out its case and allows other delegations to respond if they wish. It does not guarantee a full ministerial debate.

Cost offer has not ended legal concerns

Madrid has offered to pay the extra cost, which the European Commission puts at around 132 million euros a year, based on the Irish-language case. Spain has also proposed a limited start from 2027, translating only Council and European Parliament regulations — 3% of all legal acts in the previous parliamentary term.

Germany still has legal doubts. The Council’s legal service has said a change to the EU treaties could be needed, and talks between Madrid and Berlin have so far failed to shift that position.

Topics: Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com