Credibility of Sturgeon EU blueprint hit by Faroes delay
Islands’ lengthy wait for EFTA status glossed over
NICOLA Sturgeon’s blueprint to keep Scotland in the EU single market after Brexit is already under fire after it emerged a key precedent it cited had dragged on more than a decade.
The First Minister’s proposal, Scotland’s Place In Europe, said Scotland could follow the example of the Faroe Islands and apply to join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), despite not being independent, and said the Faroese application was “under consideration”.
However the 62-page paper failed to mention the Faroese first applied to join EFTA in 2006.
Instead, the document referred only to a press article from August this year, which reported Iceland’s foreign minister backed the Faroese application.
Opposition parties said the “ill-thought out” example had badly undermined the SNP’s case.
The Scotland In Europe paper argued the country could stay part of the single market by first joining EFTA and then aligning with the European Economic Area (EAA), like Norway.
A major challenge is neither EFTA nor the EEA allow “sub-states” – which would be the status of Scotland – to join, only sovereign states. The paper sought to address this obstacle by citing the Faroe Islands, which has applied to join EFTA despite being a sub-state of Denmark.
It said: “It should be pointed out the Faroe Islands, not an independent state, is currently exploring the possibility of joining EFTA – a possibility under consideration.
“It is envisaged Denmark would ‘sponsor’ the Faroe Islands’ membership of EFTA. This shows that a sub-state may enter into international agreements. We consider our membership could be ‘sponsored’ by the UK.”
But the Faroese parliament first gave its approval to “begin membership negotiations with EFTA” in May 2006, and the government said the process was “under way” a month later.
Six years later, his successor told diplomats in Brussels: “It can be frustrating to have to constantly define ourselves as what we are not. The Faroe Islands are not a part of the EU, we are not a part of the European Economic Area, we are not a member of EFTA.”
And when the current Faroese government formed last September, the coalition agreement said it remained an aim to join international bodies, including EFTA.
Tory chief whip John Lamont said: “Rather than prove Scotland could join EFTA, the example of the Faroe Islands shows the exact opposite. They have been waiting for more than a decade for approval and have got nowhere, yet the SNP think Scotland should follow the same path.
“If the SNP really want the best deal for Scotland they need to work with the other parts of the UK, not put forward ill-thought out plans such as this.”
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “We have been here before during the independence referendum when the SNP pretended getting back into the EU would be plain sailing. The SNP cannot just keep making assertions without providing the full facts.”
Scottish LibDems’ leader Willie Rennie said: “It has taken a decade for a tiny group of islands in the Atlantic to apply to EFTA. The idea a nation the size of Scotland could just sail straight in is complete madness.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are clear Scotland should remain in the single market, which is why we are urging the UK Government to negotiate a UK-wide deal to allow that to happen. If they won’t, then we are asking them to put forward a differentiated approach so Scotland can remain in the single market, and this is best done via EEA membership.
“Our proposal also highlights other areas where, building on our EEA membership, there would be co-operation, for example on justice and research. We accept this will be challenging but in dealing with exceptional times the EU has shown itself capable of exceptional creativity. We look forward to the UK Government’s response.”
‘‘ Rather than prove Scotland could join EFTA, the example of Faroe Islands shows the exact opposite