Clarity in Brussels, Confusion in Bute House

EU Commissioner Joe Borg:

"On the issue concerning Scotland's independence, that's not my competence to assess or to evaluate but if, for one moment, we were to assume that Scotland gained independence and therefore is eligible as a new member state for the European Union, I would see that, legally speaking, the continuation of the membership would remain with the rest of the UK - less Scotland. And, therefore, Scotland, as a newly independent state, would have to apply for membership."

Spokesman for Alex Salmond:

"The reality is very clear, and was expressed by the late Robin Cook, when foreign secretary, in his statement that an independent Scotland would remain a member of the EU: 'It's in the nature of the European Union, it welcomes all comers and Scotland would be a member'.

"When we have recently welcomed Romania and Bulgaria into full EU membership, how could it be otherwise for resource-rich Scotland?"

Jim Mather MSP:

"We are an incumbent member state - what about England having to re-apply?"

Out of these three individuals, who is the most qualified to state the EU position on the accession of an independent Scotland?

Scotland will have to reapply to join the EU upon leaving the UK, as the UK as a political entity belongs to the EU and Scotland is no longer part of that political entity. England won't have to reapply because England is still in the UK, which answers Mr Mather's question.

The spokesman for Alex Salmond is a bit more nuanced - he states that it is likely that Scotland would gain EU membership, but, again, obfuscates the fact that there is an application process involved. We will not become a separate member of the EU the day after independence, as one SNP poster promised.

Leaving the UK also means leaving the EU. This exposes Scotland to all the high external tariffs on trade with the EU (by far Scotland's biggest trading partner) that continue to restrict economic growth in Africa. These tariffs will severely damage the Scottish economy at a time when we need economic stability most. This will also be a time when the economic unviability of the SNP's economic plan for Scotland (high public expenditure - no bad thing - but with insufficiently low taxes to cover public spending)becomes clear. In addition, we will lose the EU agricultural and other grants that the Scottish economy needs - Scottish farmers have received £115m in EU grants over the last 5 years.

If we can take the EU's treatment of the 10 new member states and Turkey as custom, Scotland will have to negotiate to enter the EU, which can take months or years, but probably months in Scotland's case. As part of the application process, our democratic credentials and financial health will be assessed. I have no doubt we would pass the democracy test with flying colours, but I am less certain about the financial health test for the reasons above.

Once the EU and Scotland agree that Scotland can join, we may have to face a 10 year wait until we actually join, as the 10 new member states and Turkey are currently facing. That's 10 years of high external tariffs and no financial support from the EU, which will have a deeply negative impact on Scottish growth and financial stability.

The saddening thing is that Salmond and the SNP leadership, deep down, know all this is true. Yet they are promising the Scottish people things they can't deliver, such as joining the EU overnight. I'm going to believe that Jim Mather is deliberately distorting the reality of an independent Scotland and the EU, as it is too astounding to consider that he genuinely believes that England, remaining in Britain, will somehow not remain in the EU if Scotland leaves.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1497442007