Minister Says Independent Scotland Qualifies for EU Membership
It's all positioning leading up to the referendum
A Scottish minister believes the European Commission president was wrong to say a newly independent state would have to reapply for EU membership.
John Swinney made his remarks about Jose Manuel Barroso to members of the Lords Economic Affairs Committee.
The EC president told the BBC that an independent state would have to reapply for European membership "according to the rules".
The Scottish government plans to hold an independence referendum in 2014.