20.05.10

On the 17th of May, CAS International, HSI and WSPA handed in a letter to the Catalan Parliament on behalf of millions of members of more than 30 organizations worldwide.

In 2008 a civil initiative was started to end bullfighting in Catalonia, Spain. Such an initiative requires a minimum of 50,000 signatures but from the start more than 180,000 signatures were gathered. In December 2009 the initiative was accepted to be discussed in parliament. Since then a lot of discussions have taken place in parliament. The actual voting on the abolition of bullfighting in Catalonia will likely be at the end of June or the beginning of July of this year.

The letter was presented to Ernest Benach, chairman of the Catalan Parliament, by Marius Kolff, director of CAS International, with representatives of HSI and WSPA. WSPA also handed in a booklet with press clippings to show how the world is watching this important voting in Catalonia. Mr. Benach, who warmly welcomed the delegation, informed them that the international attention for this civil initiative is of great importance for Catalonia.

The delegation of CAS International, HSI and WSPA with the president of the Catalan parliament

A final voting against the initiative, thus in favor of bullfighting, would imply a bad image for Catalonia from an international perspective. This tradition is hardly appreciated internationally, in Catalonia and in other countries and states worldwide.

With the first voting on this initiative, in December 2009, the international attention was very high. Never before had the Catalan parliament seen such a great presence of the international press. Hopefully the parliament decides on the abolition of bullfighting in Catalonia when they will vote end of June, beginning of July of this year.