'Nonsense' over EU membership (Brian Nugent)
I have just been wondering about all this nonsense from Better Together about Scotland re-applying to join the EU.
Some simple facts for people to consider:
Scotland is at the moment part of the EU, and has been for 40 years.
We are fully intergrated into all EU departments and systems.
We meet all EU legal requirements.
Why would the EU want us to leave?
We have a major share of EU fishing grounds,and large part of EU oil reserves. Only a renegotiation of treaties are required to seperate Scotland from the rest of the UK, (the rest of the UK would also need to renegotiate their treaties).
The EU actually has no system by which it can expel an existing member.
Shetlanders should be looking to having the same status as the Åland Islands. With a yes vote Shetland can negotiate special status within their nation states and within the EU. A no vote means no advance for Shetland.
With a Yes vote, in Scotland's accession treaty negotiations Shetland can get specific provision with other island groups to be at the top table during EU decision making.
Listen to Jean Didier Hache at http://mixlr.com/islands2014/showreel/islands2014-fri-20-sep-2014-morning-session-part-2-of-2/
I feel the scaremongerers are trying too hard to make a case out of nothing. Some sensible negotiations would sort all this out before our independence date in 2016.
Brian Nugent
Chair
Yes Shetland