Europe & International Affairs

The SNP has made clear our opposition to the actions of the Spanish Government in relation to Catalonia following the referendum in October 2017. With regard to the possible extradition of University of St Andrews Professor Clara Ponsati, the former Catalan Education Minister, we will support and protect her right to challenge this request. Under…

The Scottish Government is introducing the Scottish EU Continuity Bill to ensure devolution is protected and laws in Scotland will work properly after Brexit.

The SNP believes the UK government must confirm the rights of EU nationals to remain as a matter of urgency. We expect the rights of UK nationals living in the EU to be guaranteed in the same way. The SNP believes that the United Kingdom should remain in the EU Single Market and continue to…

Euratom was founded in 1957 to foster cooperation in the development of nuclear energy and ensures high standards of protection for workers and the public from nuclear power, decommissioning, spent fuel and radioactive substances. The SNP is concerned by the UK government’s intention to leave Euratom, and the lack of consultation with the Scottish Government….

Scotland didn’t vote for Brexit, we all know that. But if the UK is to leave Europe, we want the best deal for Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon has announced a four point plan to boost trade and exports to ensure Europe knows that Scotland is open for business. We are establishing a new Board of Trade in the Scottish Government, setting up a new trade envoy scheme and creating a permanent trade representation in Berlin. Our trade envoy scheme will…

Put simply, the aim of the EU’s Single Market is to make it as easy to trade between Edinburgh and Dusseldorf as it is between Edinburgh and Dundee. This means that people, goods and services can move freely anywhere within the EU.

We consider that the process to exit the EU would require Holyrood’s legislative consent, and we cannot foresee circumstances in which the Scottish Parliament would give that. As the SNP’s focus is on protecting Scotland’s interests and democratically expressed will to remain in EU – not frustrating England’s will to leave – it would be for Westminster to deal with consequences of this situation.

All 28 members of the European Union are – by definition – independent countries. Nine of them have smaller populations than Scotland. The SNP believe in independence for Scotland, but also in independent countries working together for good of all to protect workers, tackle climate change, preserve peace and guarantee our freedom of movement –…

Scottish Seafood and Marine sectors will receive €107 million in direct assistance through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund between 2014 and 2020. This funding will support research, development and structural reform.  The previous programme delivered €57 million to just over 1000 projects, generating over €250 million of investment and supporting over 8000 jobs

Through the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), European legislation has created an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice geared to provide both freedom and the resultant necessary protections.   EU justice measures include management of external borders, the mutual recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and criminal matters, immigration and asylum, police cooperation…

Our membership of the EU ensures that Scots in Europe are guaranteed health care at the point of need, and that we are at the forefront of industry leading research.  EU membership gives Scots access to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which allows them to access state healthcare on the same basis as residents…

Scotland receives significant funding from the EU which helps us support our goals of improving lives, helping businesses to innovate and grow, promoting inclusive growth and promoting Scotland on the international stage. Between 2014 and 2020, Scotland will receive over €900 million of funding through European Structural Fund programmes. This funding is being used for…

As part of the EU we can work with other Member States to tackle global challenges like climate change and pollution. By Member States acting together, we can increase our impact in the global climate negotiations and talk as equals with big powers like China, India and the USA. EU Climate diplomacy was vital in…

The ability to move freely through the EU has given Scots the opportunity to travel abroad to work and learn alongside their neighbours. This in turn has raised the profile of Scotland as a place to live, work and study in key overseas markets and has allowed us to showcase the best of our world…

The EU provides protections for holidaymakers travelling within the 28 Member States. If you become ill or have an accident anywhere in the EU, you can access the same public healthcare as the residents of the country you are visiting. If your journey to an EU country is delayed or cancelled, you are entitled to…

Membership of the EU means that Scotland’s citizens can live, work, study or retire in any one of 28 EU countries as easily as if they were in Scotland. EU citizens from outwith the UK living in Scotland make up 3.25% of the population, and enrich our culture, strengthen our society and boost our economy.

Being a part of the European Union is good for women. From maternity and paternity leave for parents, workplace rights during pregnancy, to rules protecting against harassment and unequal treatment, women in Scotland benefit from the EU.

The EU is premised on four fundamental freedoms – the free movement of goods, services, people and capital. Forging the world’s largest single market has created unprecedented opportunity for workers to move freely around the EU to work.   However, in order to protect workers in the open market, EU law provides a suite of…

If we are to address pressing global challenges, such as the movement of refugees and migrants, energy security or climate change, then we must work positively with other nations.

Organisations in Scotland have secured €217 million in Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding since 2014, which enhances our scientific and business reputation around the world, our ability to attract and retain world-class researchers, and our opportunities to access new markets and funding. Universities also benefit from this funding – between 2007 and 2013, higher…

Free trade must be fair, and work for people as well as businesses. The EU protects consumer rights by guaranteeing the safety and quality of products and services purchased within the EU. These measures are supported by robust legal protection for consumers if products are faulty and protect consumers against aggressive business practices and rogue…

The EU is the world’s largest single market and is a vital export route for Scottish firms – it accounted for almost half of Scotland’s international exports in 2014. These exports are worth billions and are estimated to support hundreds of thousands of Scottish jobs. The EU also gives Scotland’s businesses the ability to sell…

As well as supporting Scottish farmers to produce the food we all rely on, the EU single market allows Scottish produce to be marketed and sold free from barriers to trade and anti-competitive behaviour. Access to this market is hugely valuable to the Scottish Food and Drink sector and is a vital platform for the…

EU funding, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, is supporting Scotland’s farmers, small rural businesses and helping to build sustainable rural communities.   The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is indispensable to farmers in Scotland who receive EU subsidies to support their businesses. These allow them to produce enough food to meet our domestic needs and…

We will put human rights and the rights of women at the heart of our international relations work. We’re proud that the UN asked Scotland to lead on a women’s peace-making initiative for Syria. Every year we will fund training and capacity building for at least fifty women from affected countries, ensuring they have the…

Since 2007, we’ve doubled our International Development Fund to £9 million per annum, and launched the Climate Justice Fund, bringing our total spend on international development work since 2007 to over £86 million. We have also highlighted Scotland’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. As well as increasing the Climate Justice Fund to £3 million…

The SNP does not oppose trade agreements on principle, as they can be good for our economy. However we strongly oppose the inclusion of public services and have serious concerns about giving corporations the right to sue governments through the investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms (ISDS), and we will oppose any agreement that has these terms included in it.