Monday 28 January 2013

BBC mislead over Irish Minister on Scotland Vote.


The BBC seems to have been somewhat disingenuous in its headline  ' Scottish independence: Irish minister says EU application 'would take time'


Ireland's European affairs minister has said an independent Scotland would need to apply to become a member of the European Union.
Lucinda Creighton told the BBC an independent Scotland would be welcomed into the EU, but would need to apply and go through a lengthy process.
Her views chime with concerns raised by Scottish Secretary Michael Moore.

This does seem to give the impression that Ms Creighton was apparently  was saying that Scottish membership of the EU would be somehow problematic.

Nationalist would have been disappointed that a Irish Minister would appear to be so negative over Scottish Independence

However in a letter to Nicola Sturgeon Lucinda Creighton makes it clear that she had not intended to e negative at all.

She wrote ....
....I was asked about the future of negotiations with the EU in the event that Scotland votes for independence.  I thought that my reply was largely in line with that of the Scottish Government.  I certainly did not at any stage suggest that Scotland could, should or would be thrown out of the EU.  Scottish people are clearly citizens of Europe.
I did answer the question about hypothetical negotiations with the EU.  I think it is clear that a newly independent state would have to (and would have the right to and indeed should) negotiate the terms of membership, as they would undoubtedly be somewhat different to the existing terms.  I did say that this would take some time, which I expect it would.  I also went on to say that a newly independent Scotland would be welcome as an EU partner (and I think that applies to all EU member states including Ireland).
My understanding is that the Scottish Government has already committed to a negotiation with the EU between 2014 and 2016, if you vote for independence in 2014.  If my interview suggested something other than that, this was not my intention.  I think my comments have been misconstrued.  I sincerely regret this.

No one expects Scotland to become Independent on the day after a YES vote after Independence it wil take some time some even argue that there might be the need for a second referendum to ratify the negotiations with the British government.

At the same time Scotland will be seeking to negotiate its position in the EU This would include

A Scottish EU commissioner and a seat on the commission e executive body of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and day-to-day running of the EU.[
The right to an EU veto
the right to vote under qualified majority voting
An increase in the number of Scottish MEP in line with Denmark {which has  similar population ) 12.

With Catalonia likely to hold a similar referendum the EU  will have to consider its position before they are carried out and clarify exactly what will happen.

One further complication however is Cameron's  In - Out referendum which if Scotland do vote YES will mean that Referendum would be held possibly during the negotiations or delayed until after Scotland becomes fully Independent possibly in 2017 if a second referendum is needed .

Whatever happens we don't need the BBC to misinterperate  Irish politicians who are in agreement with the Scottish Government and not as they bay that of Westminster.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Expect much, much more of the same...