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10/12/2012
Independent Scotland Must Reapply For EU
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso has said any new independent country would have to make a fresh application to join the EU.
The comments could generate problems for the Scottish government’s referendum on independence.
Although not referring to any country specifically, the EC president told the BBC’s Hardtalk programme that, in principle, any state which gains independence from another state would have to renegotiate with the EU.
This runs contradictory to First Minister Alex Salmond’s comments that Scotland would "quite clearly" remain part of the EU if independence was granted.
The Scottish government is holding a referendum on independence in autumn 2014.
Mr Barroso said: "Now, what I said, and it is our doctrine and it is clear since 2004 in legal terms, if one part of a country - I am not referring now to any specific one - wants to become an independent state, of course as an independent state it has to apply to the European membership according to the rules - that is obvious.
"For European Union purposes, from a legal point of view, it is certainly a new state. If a country becomes independent it is a new state and has to negotiate with the EU."
When asked about the rest of the UK following Scottish independence, the EC president replied that the remaining state would not have to renegotiate its terms with the EU.
(IT)
The comments could generate problems for the Scottish government’s referendum on independence.
Although not referring to any country specifically, the EC president told the BBC’s Hardtalk programme that, in principle, any state which gains independence from another state would have to renegotiate with the EU.
This runs contradictory to First Minister Alex Salmond’s comments that Scotland would "quite clearly" remain part of the EU if independence was granted.
The Scottish government is holding a referendum on independence in autumn 2014.
Mr Barroso said: "Now, what I said, and it is our doctrine and it is clear since 2004 in legal terms, if one part of a country - I am not referring now to any specific one - wants to become an independent state, of course as an independent state it has to apply to the European membership according to the rules - that is obvious.
"For European Union purposes, from a legal point of view, it is certainly a new state. If a country becomes independent it is a new state and has to negotiate with the EU."
When asked about the rest of the UK following Scottish independence, the EC president replied that the remaining state would not have to renegotiate its terms with the EU.
(IT)
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