Scottish Independence: SNP Claims Scotland Will Have Automatic EU Membership

In a final push to ramp up support for the Yes campaign, Alex Slamond renewed his promise to voters that Scotland would "automatically stay part of the EU" in the event of independence and "renegotiate" terms afterwards.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader has claimed Westminster is jeopardising Scotland's future in the European Union with a "Ukip obsession" and promises of a referendum to see if Britons want to stay part of the bloc.

"At a time when Scotland's European future is being placed in jeopardy by a Westminster elite obsessed by Ukip, it is becoming ever clearer that Scotland's European policy is best decided by people in Scotland," said Salmond.

"An independent Scotland will be an enthusiastic member of the EU, in line with our long-held international and outward-looking focus and values.

"We'll be able to argue directly for Scotland's interests and win a better deal for our farmers, fishermen and others."

Scottish people will vote in an independence referendum on 18 September, 2014, and will be asked the straight "yes/no" question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

The SNP has repeatedly promised voters that Scotland would retain its EU membership, the Sterling as a currency and various other financial and political structures, even if it became independent.

However, politicians and EU leader have reiterated that Scotland would have to reapply to the bloc.

On 8 September, the European Commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen said the EU's position on an independent Scotland has not changed from two years ago.

To illustrate the point, the commission pointed to comments made by its President Jose Manuel Barroso in 2012, who 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 [EU] treaties would no longer apply to that territory".

Under EU admission criteria, an independent Scotland would need to win the support of all 27 member states to win readmission.

Meanwhile, the Better Together campaign said: "The experts, including Jean Claude Juncker, Jose Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy have made it clear. If we vote to leave the UK, we vote to leave the EU.

"The nationalists have not answered how we would get back into the EU, how long it would take, and crucially, what terms and conditions we would join on.

"Today we have special deals like our UK rebate, which is worth £135 a year to families in Scotland. Separation would put that at risk."

Alex Salmond has claimed Westminster is jeopardising Scotland's future in the European Union with a "Ukip obsession" and promises of a referendum to see if Britons want to stay part of the bloc.