“The Barroso doctrine applies, it’s clear,” said the Berlaymont’s chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas, right after Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced her will to get Scotland to a second referendum.

Barosso’s 2014 remarks: A new state, coming out of a current member state it will have to apply for EU membership

But, what is the Barosso doctrine? An EU official told New Europe that Schinas was refering to what ex European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso told BBC  back in 2014. Barroso told UK’s broadcaster before Scotland’s first independence referendum, that in case Scotland would leave the UK, the country would have to apply for membership and get the approval of all current member states.

“In case there is a new country, a new state, coming out of a current member state it will have to apply” for EU membership, said Barosso at that time.

In order to support his words at that time, Barroso cited the example of the Spanish not recognising Kosovo: “We have seen Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance. So it is to some extent a similar case because it’s a new country and so I believe it’s going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of our countries getting the agreement of the others.”