Hansard

That is exactly what I was coming on to say. In this session of Parliament we have made important strides forward. It is good to see ministers and officials appear before the committee and I hope to see more of that. The greater scrutiny of pre and post-Council agendas—not just by the European and External Relations Committee, but by the subject committees—is a step in the right direction. However, in my view more must be done, which is what the first part of my amendment says.

In relation to the Commission's work programme specifically, it would be helpful if the Executive were to publish each year a position paper outlining its objectives in relation to the work programme's contents and a strategy paper that details how it intends to achieve those objectives. If the Executive did that, the Parliament would have a much clearer benchmark against which to assess the Executive's performance. It might also draw the general public's attention to the importance and relevance of much of the European Union's work, which—we have to be realistic about this—is lost on members of the public.

Incidentally, such openness and sense of accountability should apply much more generally to the Executive's activities in Europe. For example, we read often in the newspapers of the importance for Scotland of the First Minister's role in chairing Regleg—the regions with legislative power. However, the First Minister has never come to this Parliament and made a statement and been subjected to questioning on the role of that group or on the Executive's objectives for it, especially during the period of his presidency. I hope that the Executive will put that right.

The bigger question for Scotland to ponder in this debate relates to our proper role in Europe. The reality is that even an Executive that is doing its best and punching its weight in terms of influence in Europe will always have one hand tied behind its back because, ultimately, it has to be bound by the UK position on any issue. We know to our cost that when the Scottish interest and the UK interest do not coincide, it is Scotland that loses out.

There is no doubt that the situation within the devolved set-up could be better. An Executive that had more gumption than this one would not shy away from publicly articulating the Scottish national interest, even when it differed from that of the UK, and a UK Government that was less centralist in foreign affairs would not have a problem with allowing the Scottish Executive, when our interests are at stake, to lead Council delegations, just as in Belgium regional and community ministers lead when regional or community issues are under discussion.

Even then, Scotland would be at a disadvantage, because we lack the status of a member state and the votes that go with that to advance our view and, where necessary, to defend our national interests. Scotland should be independent in Europe, first, because that is normal and right, and secondly, because it is the only way in which, in an ever-more interdependent world, we can protect our national interests and ensure that we are able better to compete and take advantage of opportunities that open up, such as those that Keith Raffan mentioned.

Richard Lochhead is right that we should reflect on the fact that much of the Commission's work programme this year relates to enlargement, such as welcoming the 10 new states, continuing negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania and possibly entering into talks with Turkey and, beyond that, even Croatia. We should welcome the process of enlargement unreservedly, but we should not miss its significance for Scotland. As of 1 May, Europe will be a union of small states. Seven of the 10 new member states have populations similar to or smaller than that of Scotland. Malta is smaller than the city of Edinburgh, yet it will be represented at the top tables.

As those countries proudly take their seats at the top tables of Europe, we must not let Scotland remain on the sidelines or be relegated to the second division. We should raise our sights for Scotland. We should demand for ourselves the place in Europe that those other small countries take for granted and out of which they get so much. That is why I move amendment S2M-771.2, to insert at end:

"and calls on the Scottish Executive to publish its position on the Commission's programme in order to inform the Parliament and Scotland about the aims and objectives that the Executive has in relation to it and to publish a strategy paper outlining how the Executive intends to achieve these, but considers that Scotland's interests in relation to the Commission's programme would be best represented if Scotland was an independent member state of the EU."