The President of the European Commission has rejected a meeting with Nicola Sturgeon and claimed comments saying independent countries would have to reapply for EU membership were not about Scotland.
Deputy First Minister Ms Sturgeon had written to Jose Manuel Barroso, requesting that a discussion take place following an interview he gave where he was asked about what would happen to “a country like Scotland” in the event of independence.
In response, Mr Barroso said: “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.”
In a separate letter to a House of Lords committee, he said: “If part of the territory of a member state would cease to be part of that state because it were to become a new independent state, the treaties would no longer apply to that territory.
“In other words, a new independent state would, by fact of its independence, become a third country with respect to the EU and the treaties would no longer apply on its territory.”
However, the European Commission (EC) vice-president Maros Sefcovic has now written to Ms Sturgeon on Mr Barroso’s behalf, saying no comment had been made on any “specific scenario”.
The letter says the EC could only give a legal opinion if requested by a member state the UK and as such a request has not been made, Mr Barroso is not “in a position to usefully discuss this further.”
In a blog, Ms Sturgeon welcomed Mr Sefcovic’s letter as “helpful” and said it reasserted the EC’s position as one of “neutrality” on the issue of Scottish independence.
She said: “The commission have moved back into neutral gear. The letter goes on to argue that since they don’t have a position on a particular case, then there is nothing usefully to be gained from a meeting at this stage.
“That’s a pity since the world has moved on, even since December, ” Ms Sturgeon added.