Michel Barnier, EU Chief Negotiator and First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon – Picture by European Commission.
Monday, 28 May 2018, Brussels: the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon urged the UK Government to offer more clarity on their plans for the future relationship towards the EU, to engage properly vis-à-vis devolved governments as well as to stay inside the Customs Union and Single Market as the best possible outcome from Brexit, short of continuing EU membership. The latter ahead of a tête-à-tête with the EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier at commission’s headquarters.
Nicola Sturgeon hosted a round table with members of the business community in Brussels before she formally opened the expanded Scotland House – an arm of the Scottish Government’s network of hubs across Europe with offices now in London, Dublin, Berlin and soon to open in Paris.
Sturgeon also took up the issue with Northern Ireland; due to concerns in London, Dublin and Brussels about rewed tensions across its land border with EU member Ireland, the former is being offered a chance by EU negotiators to retain effective coverage by EU economic regulations after Brexit. According to Scotland the latter would give Northern Ireland an unfair economic advantage over Scotland. Hence the Scottish Government insists that the best scenario – if Brexit is be led to completion – is for the whole of the United Kingdom to remain members of the Single Market and the Customs Union.
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