EU president deals blow to SNP hopes

AN INDEPENDENT Scotland would not automatically become a member of the European Union, it was claimed yesterday.

The suggestion came after a statement from Romano Prodi, the European Commission president, who indicated that any newly-independent region would have to make a fresh application to join the EU.

The Scottish Labour Party seized on the findings, claiming it undermined the SNP which has long argued that Scotland could remain within the EU while negotiating independence with London.

"It is perfectly clear that an independent Scotland would have to renegotiate EU membership," said a Scottish Labour spokesman.

"Scotland would be a new country while the UK would retain its seat at Europe’s top table. A vote for the SNP is a vote for isolation."

A Labour source added: "I think it’s cut and dried. On the most charitable reading, there are very serious questions for the SNP policy of independence in Europe."

However, the nationalists yesterday fiercely denied their flagship "independence in Europe" policy had been torpedoed by Mr Prodi’s ruling.

John Swinney, the SNP leader, attacked opposition parties for "scaremongering" and claimed Mr Prodi’s reading of the situation was incorrect.

The SNP leader said other senior EU figures for the last 20 years had maintained that Scotland would automatically be a member of the EU when the country became independent.

"I think we have to look at Mr Prodi’s remarks in the round," he said.

"Remember, Mr Prodi isn’t some dispassionate civil servant. Mr Prodi is an Italian politician wanting to become the next prime minister of Italy.

"I suspect he probably has got an eye on some domestic politics when he makes those comments."

Mr Swinney made reference to Sir Neil McCormick, the SNP MEP, who has long asserted, as has the rest of the party, that it would be "a foregone conclusion" that Scotland would have continuing membership of the EU.

"Neil has asserted throughout this whole discussion that at no stage in the process of Scotland becoming independent would there be a period when we were outside the EU," said Mr Swinney.

"There would be a process of negotiation going on for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom, part of which would include us inheriting the treaty obligations of the UK," he said.

He insisted the real question was not about "legal nitpicking", but about whether Scotland was going to be at the top tables of Europe.

"On 1 May, ten countries are going to be joining the EU - ten new accession states, some of them smaller than the city of Edinburgh.

"They are going to be joining the EU, sitting around the top table of Europe, having more say in the domestic and international issues affecting Scotland that people in Scotland currently have."

Mr Prodi gave his view in response to a question from a Welsh Labour MEP, Eluned Morgan.

Ms Morgan asked a general question about whether a newly-independent region would have to leave the EU and apply afresh for accession.

In a written answer that gave no examples and named no countries, he told her: "When a part of the territory of a member state ceases to be part of that state, eg because that territory becomes an independent state, the treaties will no longer apply to that territory.

"In other words, a newly-independent region would, by the fact of its independence, become a third country with respect to the [European] Union and the treaties would, from the day of its independence, not apply any more in its territory."

Mr Prodi went on to detail how any European state can apply to join the EU, and an application would require negotiations about an agreement concerning the conditions of admission.

"This agreement is subject to ratification by all member states and the applicant state," said Mr Prodi.

Labour claimed this view flatly contradicted the SNP argument that Scotland would remain a member while negotiations were taking place.

However, the SNP said that under his reading, if Scotland had to re-apply then so would the remaining countries in the United Kingdom.

The party also stressed that under their interpretation, having to re-apply would only be a matter for any independent state that was not already a part of the EU.

"What we are saying is that those countries that are already a part of the EU in some shape or form would not have to re-apply," an SNP spokesman said.