- South Tirol
On January 11, 2017, the second International Symposium on Self-Determination was held at the European Parliament in Brussels. It was organized by the non-governmental organization International Commission of European Citizens (ICEC). The working group IATZ of the South Tyrolean Schützenbund, which campaigns for the right to self-determination in South Tyrol, was also represented.
The highlight was the official adoption of the Venice Resolution. This resolution states the explicit legitimacy of the right to self-determination. The resolution was already adopted by the Venetian Parliament last November.
Several experts and members of the European Parliament began by explaining different perspectives on the issue of self-determination. Among them was Catalan constitutional lawyer Jordi Domingo i Garcia-Milá and MEP Mark Demesmaeker from Flanders. They also gave new impulses and outlooks to the more than 300 listeners, from all over Europe.
The event was supported by the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, the European Conservatives and Reformers, the United European Left/Nordic Green Left and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from the European Parliament.
Afterwards, Anna Arqué, president of ICEC Catalonia, provided information about the referendum on the country's independence that will be held this year. This election has been decided after democratic final decision of the Catalan Parliament. However, the Spanish central government sees no legitimacy in it and bans the election.
The spokesman for ICEC Scotland, Michael Gray, addressed the question of a second independence referendum as a result of the UK's pending exit from the EU in his interpretation.
