Brussels, 26/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - If Scotland votes for independence in the referendum on 18 September 2014, then it will have to officially apply to re-join the European Union and a unanimous vote from all member states (including the United Kingdom) would be required for it to be allowed to become a new member state.
On Tuesday 26 November, a European Commission spokesman explained that this is the European Commission's position on any request to join the European Union, as it explained recently for the hypothetical case of Catalonia separating off from Spain. The spokesman said on Tuesday 26 November that this was an “internal matter for UK and national authorities to deal with. Any process of a particular region will have treaty implications. We will only comment when we received a detailed legal scenario from a member state.'
On the same day, the Scottish government published a detailed guide to the process that might lead to Scottish independence by March 2016 and the economic, social and legal consequences. In a press release, Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said he did not see independence as an end in itself, but as a way to change Scotland for the better.
The question and answer section of the document explains: “Will Scotland be a member of the EU? Yes. It is the current Scottish Government's policy that Scotland remains part of the European Union. Between a Yes vote in 2014 and independence day, Scotland will agree the terms of our continuing membership of the EU. This will happen while we are still part of the UK and part of the EU, ensuring a smooth transition to independent membership”. The current Scottish government is planning to keep sterling as the official currency.
The British prime minister, David Cameron, has promised a referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EU after 2015. Later this year, the British government will publish a second report on changing the powers of the EU (see EUROPE 10893). (MB/transl.fl)