THE European Union's executive has urged all sides in Spain "to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue" in the wake of the burtal violence that marred the Catalonian independence referendum on Sunday.

EU spokesman Margaritis Schinas also said the Commission trusts the leadership of Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy "to manage this difficult process".

Schinas said: "These are times for unity and stability. We call on all relevant players to now move very swiftly from confrontation to dialogue. Violence can never be an instrument in politics."

He said EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Rajoy would engage in talks later.

Catalan officials said the poll, which Spain insists is illegal and invalid, showed that a majority who voted favour independence.

Of the 2,262,424 ballots that were not seized by Spanish police forces, 2,020,144 were votes in favour of independence.

176,566 votes were against Catalonia becoming an independent republic, 45,586 were blank and 20,129 were null. Catalan officials have said that 90% of voters have declared support for a Yes vote.

The final numbers do not include those ballots seized by the Spanish police acting under orders from the Madrid government.

Catalonia’s regional leader, Carles Puigdemont, spoke out against the violence, stating: “On this day of hope and suffering, Catalonia’s citizens have earned the right to have an independent state in the form of a republic.

“My government, in the next few days, will send the results of [the] vote to the Catalan parliament, where the sovereignty of our people lies, so that it can act in accordance with the law of the referendum.”