Angus Robertson: The case for Scotland’s return to European Union is as strong as ever

Viewed from the present, the proposal to place French and West German coal and steel production under a single authority seems relatively modest. But as its author French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman set out on 9 May 1950, it was to make war between the two countries materially impossible.

What started as an agreement to pool coal and steel production between two countries, would gradually evolve into the European Union – a union of shared values and 27 member states, in which goods, services, people and capital can move freely. From cleaner water to product safety, the EU’s world-class protections safeguard the wellbeing of 447 million consumers, and form the bedrock of sustainable growth.

People in Scotland also enjoyed these benefits until very recently. Despite the overwhelming rejection of Brexit by the people of Scotland, we found ourselves removed from the world’s largest single market, with fewer freedoms, protections and higher costs to bear as a result.

Analysis published by the Scottish Government last year found 44% of businesses in Scotland named Brexit as the main cause of difficulties trading overseas. Staff shortages were reported by 45% of tourism businesses in the Highlands and Islands as a result of the loss of freedom of movement, and some shellfish exporters have faced additional estimated costs of up to £600 per consignment as a result of Brexit-induced trade barriers.

That’s why, as the impact of that damage becomes clearer by the day, we believe the case for an independent Scotland to become an EU member in its own right is stronger than ever.

Not simply to regain the many economic, societal and cultural benefits and opportunities lost through Brexit, but because Scotland shares the EU’s founding principles and core values – those that protect people and the environment, equality, and democracy.

In return, we believe Scotland has much to offer the EU. Our strengths in renewable energy sources like hydrogen and off-shore wind could help the EU develop technologies of the future and contribute to the transition to net zero, through the research links we’ve maintained with European institutions. Our vibrant and internationally-renowned culture would also make an important contribution to a dynamic and forward-looking EU.

Scotland is a diverse, welcoming nation. We are grateful to all the European students who have chosen to study at one of our world leading institutions, as well as the EU citizens who have chosen to make our country their home, for all they contribute to Scotland’s economy and our communities.

Notwithstanding the impact of Brexit, the benefits of EU membership remain as relevant to our everyday lives as they ever were. That is why the Scottish Government is steadfast in its commitment to protecting them, in the spirit of the Schuman Declaration, which sought to break down barriers rather than enact them.

The EU’s motto “united in diversity” means unity, solidarity and cooperation. That spirit of cooperation over competition is always worth reflection. Set against a backdrop of major crises around the world, it is an idea that is as important now as when Robert Schuman first expressed it.

Angus Robertson is the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs & Culture