Leader: Salmond must address EU lockout talk
THOSE doubting the size and depth of the Pandora’s Box opened up in the approach to the independence referendum will find the contribution from Professor Thomas Giegerich, an international law expert at Edinburgh University, soberingly instructive.
It is his understanding that Scotland could be kept out of the European Union for up to two years, with Scots stripped of their rights to travel freely within the EU. He says it would be “diplomatically difficult” for Scotland to join the EU after a “yes” vote, with other members states “reluctant” to anger the Westminster government. It will take time, he argues, for an independent Scotland to go through the process of joining, and winning round those member states which would have the power of veto over a Scottish application.
Now this is far from being the only opinion on this matter. And some in the SNP fold might feel that such an outcome may be more a blessing than a curse. Scottish exporters, however, would be fiercely concerned were they not to enjoy access to the EU single market and would be aghast at any prospect of being frozen out while political haggling stretched out over long negotiations. For his part, First Minister Alex Salmond is confident there is no problem: an independent Scotland would continue to be a member of the EU. This advice may well be correct, but, so far, he has declined to put it into the public domain. And yesterday he declined invitations from Tory leader Ruth Davidson so to do.
Given the crucial importance of this matter to Scottish business, this is a stance that is certain to come under the most intense pressure.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Family mourn death of Glasgow ‘fight’ schoolboy
- Rangers takeover: Duff & Phelps threaten legal action against BBC
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Rangers administration: Fans fear Duff & Phelps claims could scare off Green
- Rangers takeover: triple penalty punishment enough, says Johnston
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- Scottish independence: Alex Salmond’s pledge to sign up 1m voters
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 21 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
AlanB
Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:46 AMThe EU is an expansionary organisation. Germany is trying it best to underwrite so much to keep countries like Greece in the euro not just the eu. ------ The idea that the eu would want to make life difficult for Scotland is daft. Yes they really want Romania and Bulgaria and now Croatia is to joining (pending an expected yes vote in it referendum) but Scotland would be frozen out.Just silly. ------ The reasoning behind the article is also hardly an advertisement for the union. If Scotland does not have a union with England then England will be vindictive to Scotland. So we are meant to accept a union on that basis!------ Also the idea that Germany and France will dump on Scotland to appease England is silly. Did they not see Camerons antics recently. ----- Also given that the uk traded away Scotlands fishing rights countries like Spain are hardly going to want Scotland excluded. The issue is more whether Scotland can gain from any split negotations or whether the same situation will prevail.
christelijk_recht
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 09:24 PM. . "Speaking to the French news agency AFP, senior officials within the EU have said that the rump UK would find itself in an identical position to a newly independent Scotland, and that both would have to renegotiate the terms of their entry into the EU. " ................................................................................................................................ Hmm, now who to believe, the Jocksman or the EU? ............................................................................................................................. ". . lawyers for the EU . . said an independent Scotland could be treated as one of two successor states, and that a separate seat for Edinburgh would require only a simple majority vote. No single EU member would have a veto. " .................................................................................................................... I wonder if professor Giegerich is getting paid by the word?
Brond
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 09:21 PM#18, Alex doesn't have a weight problem - it's called gravitas.
christelijk_recht
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 09:16 PM#7 - "The man is a clown." . . Yes, you said that before grahamski. In fact I cannot think of anything else you have had to say about the First Minister, except of course gratuitous references to his alleged weight problem. Would it be impertinent to ask you whether you have anything constructive to contribute to these discussions at all? . . . No? .....................................................................................................................Thought not.
Ron Greer
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 06:59 PM7 There are of course no clowns in the Millimuppet Show. What does England get out of the Union BTW?
Ron Greer
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 06:57 PMNo automatic entry to the EU---wonderful. Border posts at Berwick---are the English going to put some up?
JPJ2
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 06:10 PM"Scotland could...." says the Scotsman in its usual near-daily attack on the SNP. The standard approach is to produce some ludicrous anti-Snp story based on some nutty idea and then produce a Leader article based on it............................................. "Scotland could" do wuth a decent newspaper rather than this comic!
Hearthammer
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 03:56 PMSeems that AFP has quoted a senior member of the Council of Ministers stating that Scotland, as a successor state of the UK, would have no problem in gaining membership of the EU if it wanted it!
ali2011
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 03:17 PMDear oh dear oh dear when i read this paper I think I'm reading the Beano. You know this Scotsman if you came out and said what you really are ie an anti-indepenence newspaper people would respect you better. As it is are you to cowardly to admit this instead of sniping daily against independence. Read your own heading for what your supposed to stand for. What a fake you are using it.
samcoldstream
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:15 PMGerman Thomas Giegerich is Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Edinburgh Law School and will soon return to his department at the University of Virginia(Fulbright Scholarship). He has wide experience in international law and has been employed by the European Union for many years. Something, perhaps, that wasn't explained in the article.
lebanon
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:13 AMdouglas home rule #10 - couldnt disagree more with your point, if Mr Salmond wants independence and is trying to sell it to the Scots it is his responsibility to us to understand and discuss the detail so that we know exactly what we are voting for. If he chooses to continue to avoid giving the answers and the reasons for his gung ho responses then i for one will be very happy because the people will reject his empty rhetoric
douglas-home rule
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 10:09 AMNothing to stop The Scotsman sending some journalists over to Brussels to ask some pertinent questions from those in the know. Perhaps it prefers not to have answers, but to rely on this constant feed of if and buts from "experts".
lebanon
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 10:00 AMFamily Guy # 6 - to call serious questions on Scotalnd's future on the EU as 'hysterical, futile, defeating and thoroughly counter productive and is smacks of jealousy' is frightening. If you are wrong then such simple dismissiveness will badly affect for many years the people of Scotland and those who will have Scottish passports. This subject requires serious clarification and so far Mr. Salmond's only response is to rubbish those who ask the questions. Fortunately this will rebound on him as people get tired of his grandstanding and focus on his lack of substance.
unimpressedone
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 09:00 AMOne bonus of independence would be free access to BBC transmissions as the Irish and Belgians have. Or would Salmond insist on collecting the tax at the behest of his masters?
grahamski
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 07:47 AMMr Salmond was asked a simple question by Ms Davidson in Holyrood yesterday. He refused to answer preferring instead to drag the proceedings into the gutter of trite sloganeering and petty, spiteful party political jibes. The man is a clown.
Page 1 of 2
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.