Prosecutors in Germany are to seek a warrant to extradite the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to Spain.
Mr Puigdemont was detained by German authorities last month at the Danish border.
The former regional leader is wanted in Spain, where he faces charges of 'rebellion' and misuse of public funds - accusations arising from his role in the disputed Catalan independence referendum.
Mr Puigdemont has been in self-imposed exile from Catalonia and Spain since late last year.
Facing a European arrest warrant, prosecutors in Germany will now seek a court's permission to extradite Mr Puigdemont.
In a statement, officials said: "The prosecutor's office of Schleswig-Holstein state applied for an extradition arrest warrant against former Catalonian regional president Carles Puigdemont from the Higher Regional Court in Schleswig-Holstein."
The prosecutors said the rebellion charges - defined as 'an unconstitutional act despite expectations of violent disturbances' - have a general equivalent in German law, which is among the requirements for extradition applications.
It is not yet known when the German court will make its decision.
Associated Press reports that the former regional lawyers' will ask the court to reject the decision, and have also called on the German government to intervene over the case's 'political dimension' in Spain.
