EU court upholds Spanish amnesty for Catalan separatists

The European Union's highest court ruled on Thursday, July 16, 2026, that Spain's controversial amnesty law for Catalan separatists is compatible with EU law, delivering a significant legal and political victory to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) found that the 2024 legislation, which extinguishes criminal liability for hundreds involved in Catalonia's independence drive, does not violate the bloc's financial or counter-terrorism rules.

In its judgment, the court stated that EU law does not preclude the Spanish amnesty law because its adoption and application fall within the competence of member states. One of the judges, delivering the ruling, said the court does not oppose a law which seeks to reduce institutional and political tensions and facilitate a process of reconciliation. The decision rejects arguments from the European Commission, which had opposed the law, with lawyers for the executive calling it a "self-amnesty" contrary to the rule of law.

The amnesty law was passed by Spain's parliament in June 2024 as part of a political agreement. Following inconclusive national elections in 2023, Prime Minister...