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Independent Scotland 'would find it extremely difficult to join EU' Independent Scotland 'would find it extremely difficult to join EU'
(35 minutes later)
It would be "difficult, if not impossible" for an independent Scotland to become a member of the European Union, the European commission president, José Manuel Barroso has said. It would be "difficult, if not impossible" for an independent Scotland to become a member of the European Union, the European commission president, José Manuel Barroso, has said.
The statement will be seen as a blow to the hopes of the Scottish Nationalists who have claimed the country would join the EU in the event of a "yes" vote in September's referendum. The statement will be seen as a blow to the hopes of the Scottish Nationalists who claim the country would join the EU in the event of a yes vote in September's referendum.
Barroso told The Andrew Marr Show that member states seeking to prevent their own semi-autonomous regions from seceding would almost certainly block this. This, he said, would mean that Scotland would have to apply for EU membership in the usual way. Barroso told the Andrew Marr Show that member states seeking to prevent their own semi-autonomous regions from seceding would almost certainly block Scotland's membership. He said Scotland would have to apply for EU membership in the usual way.
"It will be extremely difficult to get the approval of all the other member states to have a new member coming from one member state," he said."It will be extremely difficult to get the approval of all the other member states to have a new member coming from one member state," he said.
"We have seen that Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance, so it's to some extent a similar case because it's a new country and so I believe it's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of one of our countries getting the agreement of the other [existing member states]," he added."We have seen that Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance, so it's to some extent a similar case because it's a new country and so I believe it's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of one of our countries getting the agreement of the other [existing member states]," he added.
Barroso, whose mandate as head of the EU executive ends in October, has previously said that any newly independent state would have to reapply to join the EU.Barroso, whose mandate as head of the EU executive ends in October, has previously said that any newly independent state would have to reapply to join the EU.
Scottish voters will take part in a referendum on their country's independence on 18 September.Scottish voters will take part in a referendum on their country's independence on 18 September.
Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon branded Barroso's stance "preposterous". Sturgeon said: "This is a preposterous assertion - as the ridiculous comparison with Kosovo illustrates. Scotland is already in the EU and has been for 40 years. Scotland's deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, branded Barroso's stance "preposterous". She said: "This is a preposterous assertion as the ridiculous comparison with Kosovo illustrates. Scotland is already in the EU and has been for 40 years.
"As Mr Barroso rightly says, the question of Scotland's independent membership of the EU is a matter for the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland and the views of other member states - not the European Commission. "As Mr Barroso rightly says, the question of Scotland's independent membership of the EU is a matter for the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland and the views of other member states not the European commission. The fact of the matter is that no member state has said that it would veto Scotland's continuing membership."
"The fact of the matter is that no member state has said that it would veto Scotland's continuing membership.
She added: "The question Mr Barroso was asked was would Scotland be welcome. Every indication we have is that the answer to that question is yes."She added: "The question Mr Barroso was asked was would Scotland be welcome. Every indication we have is that the answer to that question is yes."
The Scottish government has previously said it will negotiate Scotland's EU membership in the 18 months after the referendum. The Scottish government has previously said it will negotiate Scotland's EU membership in the 18 months after the referendum. Scottish ministers want the negotiations to be hammered out from within the Union while Scotland remains part of the UK, according to the government's white paper on independence.
Scottish ministers want the negotiations to be hammered out from within the Union while Scotland remains part of the UK, according to the government's white paper on independence. Alex Salmond has attacked George Osborne's refusal to consider a currency union with an independent Scotland as "ill-thought out and misinformed".
The independence referendum will take place on September 18, with voters being asked: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" Scotland's first minister said he intended to talk about the chancellor's position on the issue when he addresses pro-independence business leaders in Aberdeen on Monday.
Barroso's intervention comes as Alex Salmond attacked George Osborne's refusal to consider a currency union with an independent Scotland as "ill-thought out and misinformed". Osborne said during a speech in Edinburgh on Thursday that he had arrived at his position by considering analysis from the Treasury and official advice from the department's leading civil servant.
Scotland's first minister said he intended to deconstruct the chancellor's position on the issue when he addresses pro-independence business leaders in Aberdeen on Monday. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have indicated they are also opposed to a currency union. The SNP administration has already dismissed Osborne's speech as "bluff, bluster and bullying".
Osborne said during a speech in Edinburgh on Thursday he said he had arrived at his position by considering analysis from the Treasury and official advice from the department's leading civil servant. Salmond wrote to David Cameron on Sunday alleging "bullying" behaviour by Westminster ministers. He claimed that recent interventions in the independence debate were contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the Edinburgh agreement, which paved the way for the independence referendum.
Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have indicated they are also opposed to a currency union, the Scottish government's preferred plan should Scots vote for independence.
The Scottish Nationalist party administration has already dismissed Osborne's speech as "bluff, bluster and bullying".
Salmond wrote to David Cameron on Sunday alleging "bullying" behaviour by Westminster ministers.
He claimed that recent interventions in the independence debate were contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the Edinburgh Agreement, which paved the way for a legally-binding referendum on Scottish independence to take place.