BRUSSELS “SHOULD BE PREPARED” TO KEEP SCOTLAND IN SINGLE MARKET
The EU is ready to consider a differentiated Brexit deal that would keep Scotland in the single market, a leaked memo has revealed.
An internal letter by the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, which will form the basis of the parliament’s negotiating position, said that the EU “should be prepared” to deal with Scotland.
It reads:
“There are discussions in those territories [Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar] regarding the possibility of obtaining differentiated status as compared to the rest of the UK in the withdrawal process. This would point to a possible differentiated territorial application of EU law. Moreover, there is a call from some sectors of those territories to listen to and accommodate the will of the majority of citizens of those territories to remain in the EU.
“Should such issues be raised during negotiations, the institutions should be prepared for dealing with them from an EU law point of view.”
The memo continues:
“Regarding Scotland in particular, the issue relates in particular to the different positions of that devolved territory and of the UK Government regarding participation in the single market as well as their approach to the free movement of citizens. The questions on whether differentiations could be envisaged in the current constitutional and institutional set up of the Union should thus be addressed”.
The revelation comes as senior German politician David McAllister, when asked about an independent Scotland’s membership of the EU, said that “Scotland at the moment has fulfilled the EU acquis to 100%.”
Commenting, Kenneth Gibson said:
“This paper demolishes any notion that the EU is not prepared to look at a deal to keep Scotland in the single market. On the contrary, it shows that Brussels is open to the prospect.
“The SNP Government has already compromised with the proposals published, and the Tories should now match that compromise by agreeing to take forward such a plan. If the Tories take Scotland out of the single market against our will, it is patently clear that we already fulfil all the criteria necessary to join the EU as an independent country.
“There remains only one significant risk to Scotland's relationship with Europe; a Tory Hard Brexit, which will damage our economy, drag us out of a single market eight times larger than the UK's and cost 80,000 Scottish jobs.”
Brexit negotiators should consider deal which keeps Scotland in the single market, says EU report: https://tinyurl.com/jq3u5em
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