A ‘Green In’ for EU membership. The Scottish Green Party strongly believes continued membership of the EU is in the best interests of Scotland and we will campaign for a ‘Green In’ in the upcoming referendum. We do however recognise that the EU is badly in need of reforms and we will work as part of a pan-European movement to democratise the structures and institutions of the EU. We believe in a more localised and regionalised Europe, where political and economic power is decentralised and member states cooperate on mutually beneficial initiatives such as cooperation against tax evasion and transnational crime or the harmonisation of regulations on environmental protection and workers’ rights.

No to TTIP. We are unequivocally opposed to the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) and similar deals which seek to expand corporate power and erode our public services. The Scottish Green Party has long opposed this deal and will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the millions of citizens across Europe who believe that the undermining our democracies is completely unacceptable. If efforts to prevent this retrograde legislation from passing through the European Parliament fail, Green MSPs would pursue measures to ensure that it never takes effect in Scotland.

Reform the EU single market. We would campaign to scrap EU procurement and state aid rules that prevent member states from favouring local enterprise or supporting emerging industries. Until such reforms take place, Green MSPs will push for the use of the Teckal exemption to ensure that local, publicly owned enterprises are favoured in procurement by the Scottish Government or local authorities.

A Renewables Capital for Europe. Scotland has the engineering know-how and technical expertise to become a major global player in renewable energy. This position would greatly aid the EU in achieving the sustainable development goals of the Europe 2020 strategy. The exchange of skills and technology would enable the growth of a decarbonised European economy and the establishment of a European supergrid would allow Scotland to export its huge surplus of renewable energy onto the continent.

Pan-European solidarity. Scotland’s experience of ideologically driven cuts to public services is unfortunately not unique in Europe. We would join hands with peoples across the continent to oppose ideologically-driven economic austerity. With allies, Scotland could stand firm as a bastion of resistance and play a decisive role in turning the tide against the forces that seek to erode our rights, weaken our democracies and sell off our public services.