THE EU PRIORITIES
The Government's EU Priorities are the issues currently being discussed at EU level which will have a significant impact on Scotland in the near future. Therefore it is vital that the nation's voice is heard in discussions at as early a stage as possible. The Cabinet agreed the initial table of priorities on 11 September 2007 however, as these are short term priorities it was agreed that they would be reviewed every six months. The most recent table, setting out 20 current priorities for Scotland was presented to the European and External Relations Committee by Linda Fabiani on 7 October 2008.
The Government works closely on these priorities with the Scottish Parliament, Scotland's seven MEPs, representatives of Scottish local authorities, other Scottish organisations including Scotland Europa and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish members of Economic and Social Committee (Ecosoc) as well as with the UK Government, including the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep), the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Executive and finally with the key EU institutions to secure the best deal for Scotland.
While this table reflects the situation in the EU in the short term new EU policy proposals emerge from Brussels on a continual basis, some of which will have a greater impact on Scotland than others. The Government understands the importance of amending the table where necessary in order to ensure that it accurately reflects Scotland's interests as matters arise and progress. The Ministers place great emphasis on stakeholder participation and welcome their views on which issues they consider to be priorities.
The priorities are listed under the Scottish Government's five strategic objectives for Scotland, providing a framework that ensures that all decisions and policies are focused on achieving over-arching policy goals. The priorities are listed under the strategic objective of greatest significance, however it is worth noting that many of the priorities may fall within more than one of our objectives.
More detailed information on each priority, including the aims and actions of Scotland in negotiations and the implications for Scotland, can be viewed by clicking on the relevant priority name.