- Minister Meritxell Serret has accompanied President Aragonès to the European capital, where they will be meeting with two commissioners, and has stated that the Government of Catalonia remains at full disposal of the EU
The President of the Government of Catalonia, Pere Aragonès, and the Minister for Foreign Action and the European Union, Meritxell Serret, have travelled to Brussels to meet with two European Commissioners: Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, and Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market. Today, with Reynders, they will address the Pegasus case and tomorrow along with the Catalan Minister for Economy and Finance, Natàlia Mas,they will discuss with Commissioner Breton the proposals and initiatives around the European budget and the energy transition with the Catalan commitment to green hydrogen.
“With this trip we reinforce the the Catalan Government and the Catalan society’s Europeanism”, declared Minister Meritxell Serret, who added, “we are convinced that the future of Catalonia lies in the European Union”.“We want to be an active and proactive partner of the European project and, at the same time, we also want to emphasise the importance of the Delegation of the Government to the European Union”. Related to this, MinisterSerrethas announced thatIgnasi Centelleswill be the new Representative of the Government to the European Union, completing therefore the changes at the head of the Department. “We complete this way the cycle of renewal of the team of the Department of Foreign Action and the European Union, carried out as quickly as possible, in order to give a message of solidity and continuity to the foreign action of the Government and of Catalonia itself, with all due respect and recognition to the previous team”, explainedSerret.
Serret stressed “the priority of this government and this department is to strengthen the commitment of gaining credibility and reputation at an international level through government action”. She also emphasised that“the delegations are a fundamental part of this task”.
Centelles has been introduced to the team of the Delegation and to the media. He is “a person who has been working for years in European institutions and who knows very well the Catalan community in Belgium”, said MinisterSerretabout the new representative. She is convinced that “he will do a very good job in continuing the Government’s commitment to Europe, which has been maintained since the beginning of the Generalitat”.
Meetings with commissioners Reynders and Breton
“We want to know first-hand the intentions of the European Commission and, at the same time, we want to place ourselves at full disposal of the European Union”, saidSerret.“On the one hand”, she said,“so that Catalonia becomes an active partner in the investigation about the political espionage that is taking place in Europe and that has affected citizens of Catalonia, especially those related to the independence movement”.“We are fullyprepared to collaborate with the strategy set out by the European Commission to provide a response and guarantee the rights of all European citizens”,Serret insisted.
On the other hand, Serret explained that Commissioner Breton would be told how from Catalonia “we are contributing to the European commitment to advance in the field of the European chip, the European digital engagement, and in the energy transition, with the proposal of theHydrogen Valley of Catalonia to promote green hydrogen in Catalonia”.