First Minister Alex Salmond
Scotland House, Brussels
90th Anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele: July 11, 2007
Tonight I have two functions - first to welcome you to Scotland House, which I do most warmly - and secondly to take the opportunity of my first visit to Brussels as the First Minister of Scotland to explore the relationship of this new Scottish Government with Europe.
Before I turn to that relationship, it is right that we pause to remember that the prime purpose of my visit to Belgium is, of course, to attend the commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
No family in Scotland was untouched, and no community unaffected, by the loss of so many young soldiers who died in 1917. Scotlands last direct link with the trenches was Alfred Anderson who died in 2005 aged 109, but the scars remain and the wounds are still deep.
The carnage of Passchendaele - which less than a generation later was followed by another world war of European origin - is a poignant reminder of why the European institutions were established, to build lasting peace and prosperity in our continent.
We must never forget that, at its core, the European Union is an expression of commonality - a desire for unity to prevent conflict and to encourage mutual benefit.
Of course, in the last 20 years so much has changed and the debate has moved on to question the accountability and transparency of the institutions, and the wish of citizens to understand and interact with the EU.
For a nation with a devolved Parliament, there is perhaps an inherent temptation to defer rather than to lead. In a European Union of nations and regions it is easy to assume the role of an interested if peripheral observer.
I therefore want to be clear from the outset that as First Minister of Scotland I have no confusion or prevarication. The peoples and institutions of the European Union are central to my vision for Scotland. It will, I hope, be recognised that Scotland requires to rediscover the sense of internationalism which once defined our nation.
Scotland has a rich European heritage - it was always true that Scots travelled and studied and taught on the continent of Europe. It is also true that so much of Scottish intellectual life has benefited from and indeed has influenced countries across the continent. That legacy of engagement is what I want to recapture.
In the modern Europe, the areas of concern and of common cause are obvious - the environment, a united response to the challenges of the developing world, co-operation in combating terrorism and expanding global trade to name only a few. These are the issues where Europe needs to strengthen and develop its commons focus and policy.
The message I offer this evening is that Scotland understands the need to raise our game on the world stage. It is time for Scotland to take more responsibility for the world we share and to offer the insight and leadership of a nation keen to embrace the immense possibility that working within an expanded European Union offers.
We recognise the success of so many small countries in Europe, and we aspire to the independent membership of the EU that they enjoy.
We have celebrated with Ireland in their economic transformation, just as we salute the elevation of Slovenia to the Presidency of the EU in 2008. In the European Union of today, the obligation to provide international leadership rests on all nations - large and small.
That is why I also believe that it is time to transform the nature of Scotland's representation and impact in Europe.
My conversations with Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of Wales - to whom we all wish speedy recovery - and Dr Paisley and Mr McGuinness in Belfast tell me that Scotland is not alone in seeking a new relationship with Europe. While Scotland's government is more powerful in legislative terms than either the National Assembly for Wales or the Northern Ireland Assembly, what we share is an appreciation that those we represent deserve a direct voice.
By common consent, the Welsh Assembly Government has been bolder in establishing a direct relationship with the Commission - and may be bolder still under the new Labour/Plaid Cymru coalition! Scotland must as an immediate target achieve the best practice of other devolved administrations by directly engaging with EU institutions in order to protect and promote our interests.
The new Scottish Government will always put Scotland's case with courtesy, and with strength and conviction.
There are many examples across the spectrum of policy, but let me focus on one which makes the point most clearly.
In my view, just as Flanders leads for Belgium at the Fisheries Council, so should Scotland lead for the UK. Regardless of Scotland's constitutional future, and regardless of the future framework of a policy which does the European cause so much damage and which would be better to revert to national control and conservation, it simply cannot be right that Scotland - with 68 per cent of the UK catch and the largest fishing zone of any single EU country - sits in a subsidiary position when these decisions affecting our communities are being made.
Tonight, my message is a clear and unambiguous one - this is the time for Scotland to assume our obligations and responsibilities to help mould the world around us.
This must be an era of renewed Scottish internationalism - both as a tribute to the past and a statement of who we are today.
It is not just that we are a nation interested in Europe, but rather that it is fundamentally in our national interest that we understand what it is to be European.
In furthering that national interest, I know with certainty that I can count on your support. And, for that, I thank you most sincerely.