Following claims to the contrary by Commission president Romano Prodi, the Welsh and Scottish nationalists have insisted that national independence would not mean having to reapply for membership of the European Union.

Prodi's comments came in a written answer to a question put by Welsh Labour MEP Eluned Morgan.

"When a part of the territory of a member state ceases to be a part of that state...the treaties will no longer apply to that territory," it said.

"In other words, a newly independent region would, by the fact of its independence, become a third country with respect to the Union and the treaties would, from the day of its independence, not apply anymore on its territory."

And the statement added that to re-apply for membership the newly independent state would require the unanimous approval of all the existing EU members.

Following the Commission chief's statement, Morgan said that Plaid Cymru's policy of independence would see Welsh workers losing out on the protection of EU laws.

And countries like Spain could veto attempts to rejoin the Union, Morgan added, leaving Wales "isolated from the rest of the world at a considerable cost to every community and to every family".

Claims rejected

Following the claims, both the Welsh and Scottish nationalists insisted they would not need to reapply for EU membership.

Plaid's deputy leader, MEP Jill Evans, said Labour had "shot itself in the foot" with the claims.

She argued that if the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1707 were repealed, the UK would no longer exist and therefore, on the basis of Labour's claims, all home nations including England would have to reapply for EU membership.

"The truth of the matter is that each nation would negotiate EU succession on a collective basis. These ridiculous claims should be treated with contempt and are pure nonsensical," she added.

"A spokesman for the Commission has previously confirmed that Wales would be admitted to the EU on the same day it became independent following the completion of a set of formalities.  

"The truth of the matter is that Wales’ accession to the EU would occur on the date of independence."

SNP leader John Swinney also backed Plaid's argument.

"I think we have to remember that Mr Prodi is not a dispassionate civil servant," he said.

"Mr Prodi is an Italian politician wanting to become the next prime minister of Italy.  I suspect he has got an eye on domestic politics when he has made the comments he has just made."

The real question is not about "legal nitpicking", he added.

"On May 1, 10 countries are going to be joining the EU - 10 new accession states, some of them smaller than the city of Edinburgh," he said.

"They are going to be joining the EU, sitting around the top table of Europe, having more say in the domestic and international issues affecting Scotland than people in Scotland currently have."