Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee Thursday 22 June 2017 Session 5 © Parliamentary copyright. Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body Information on the Scottish Parliament’s copyright policy can be found on the website - www.parliament.scot or by contacting Public Information on 0131 348 5000 Thursday 22 June 2017 CONTENTS Col. COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS ............................................................................................................................. 1 CULTURE, TOURISM, EUROPE AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE 17th Meeting 2017, Session 5 CONVENER *Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (SNP) DEPUTY CONVENER *Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) COMMITTEE MEMBERS *Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Con) *Mairi Evans (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) *Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green) *Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP) *Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) *Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD) *attended THE FOLLOWING ALSO PARTICIPATED: Ulrika Carlefall-Landergren (Committee of the Regions) Olgierd Geblewicz (Committee of the Regions) Rob Jonkman (Committee of the Regions) Karl-Heinz Lambertz (Committee of the Regions) Catiuscia Marini (Committee of the Regions) Markku Markkula (Committee of the Regions) Stanislaw Szwabski (Committee of the Regions) CLERK TO THE COMMITTEE Katy Orr LOCATION The Mary Fairfax Somerville Room (CR2) 1 22 JUNE 2017 2 I am also the President of the region of Umbria, in Scottish Parliament the centre of Italy. Culture, Tourism, Europe and Karl-Heinz Lambertz (Committee of the Regions): I am the first vice-president of the External Relations Committee Committee of the Regions. I am from the German- speaking minority in Belgium. I am a member of Thursday 22 June 2017 the Belgian senate and a member of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community. I was a minister and Prime Minister there for 24 [The Convener opened the meeting at 10:01] years. Committee of the Regions Markku Markkula (Committee of the Regions): I am the President of the Committee of The Convener (Joan McAlpine): Good the Regions. I have been here in the Scottish morning and welcome to the 17th meeting in 2017 Parliament once before, and I have been to of the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Edinburgh several times. I am the chair of the Relations Committee. I remind members and the board of my city, Espoo, which is the second- public to turn off mobile phones. Any members largest city in Finland, but originally I come from who are using electronic devices to access the far north, so Scotland is close to my heart in committee papers during the meeting should that respect. I was born north of the Arctic circle ensure that they are switched to silent. and went to school there, in Lapland. We share much with Scotland. Our only item of business today is an evidence session with the Committee of the Regions’ Ulrika Carlefall-Landergren (Committee of conference of presidents. I welcome the president, the Regions): I am a member of the Committee of the first vice-president and members of the the Regions and the first vice-president of the conference of presidents to Scotland and to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe committee. We are delighted to have you here and group. I am a municipal commissioner at we look forward to our discussions on the Kungsbacka, which is a city near Gothenburg, on implications of Brexit for Scotland. the west coast of Sweden. Before that, and before you make your formal Olgierd Geblewicz (Committee of the statements, I invite everyone to introduce Regions): I am a member of the Committee of the themselves. I will start. I am a member of the Regions and I represent the European People’s Scottish Parliament for South Scotland and the Party group. I am from Poland. I could say that I convener of the committee. am the president of one of the Polish regions on the Baltic sea, but in Poland we do not have Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) presidents at a regional level. We call them (Lab): I am a Labour member for North East marshals, so I am the Marshal of the Scotland and the deputy convener of the Westpomeranian region. It is not a military position committee. but an executive one—I am the chairman of a Mairi Evans (Angus North and Mearns) board. This is the first time that I have been here, (SNP): I am the Scottish National Party MSP for and I am glad that I am here. Angus North and Mearns, in the north-east of Stanislaw Szwabski (Committee of the Scotland. Regions): I am the president of the European Richard Lochhead (Moray) (SNP): I am the Alliance group in the Committee of the Regions. I MSP for Moray, which is whisky country. am Polish. I am from the city of Gdynia, which is on the Baltic sea, on the eastern part of the Polish Jackson Carlaw (Eastwood) (Con): I am the border with the Baltic. My colleague is from the MSP for Eastwood, which is on the south side of western part. I am also a councillor in Gdynia. Glasgow, in the west of Scotland, and the deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives. Rob Jonkman (Committee of the Regions): Good morning. I am the president of the European Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD): I Conservatives and Reformist group. I am an represent the islands of Shetland, in the very far alderman in the city of Opsterland, in the northern north. They are 200 miles to the north of part of the Netherlands. This is my first time in Aberdeen, so they are on the periphery of the Edinburgh, but last night was not the first time that periphery of the periphery of Europe. I am a I have drunk whisky. [Laughter.] I must say that I Liberal Democrat. love it. Catiuscia Marini (Committee of the Regions): Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) I am the president of the Party of European (SNP): Good morning. I am the SNP MSP for the Socialists group at the Committee of the Regions. Greenock and Inverclyde constituency. 3 22 JUNE 2017 4 Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green): Good the potential for differentiating the UK’s morning. I am a Green Party MSP for the West immigration policy to respond to Scotland’s needs. Scotland region. One of those pieces of research—by the Fraser The Convener: Thank you very much. There is of Allander institute, which is based at the no need for you to press any buttons; the University of Strathclyde—found that the microphones will work automatically. implications of a hard Brexit for Scotland would be the loss of 80,000 jobs over 10 years and a Our visitors have come to Scotland at an reduction in the value of the annual salary by important moment. Tomorrow is the one-year £2,000 by the end of those 10 years. Another of anniversary of the referendum in which the United our reports said that the rights of EU citizens Kingdom as a whole—but not Scotland—voted to should be clarified at the earliest opportunity and leave the European Union. As they will be aware, outlined the value of EU migration to Scotland, 62 per cent of people in Scotland voted to remain whose demographic decline has been sharply in the EU. Furthermore, the process of reversed by EU migration. We argued that there withdrawing from the EU has now started. On should be a separate migration system for Monday, the European Commission and the UK Scotland post-Brexit. Government initiated the article 50 negotiations to leave the EU. Yesterday, the Queen’s speech at Our final report on the future of Scotland post- Westminster set out the UK Government’s Brexit argued that there should be a bespoke programme for government and included solution for Scotland. As you may know, the proposals for a great repeal bill to ensure that EU Scottish Government has argued for a separate legislation will continue to have effect in the UK. It solution that would allow Scotland to remain in the also included proposals for other legislation to single market even if the UK left the EU, to reflect adapt to the UK’s future outside the EU. Tonight, the fact that 62 per cent of Scots voted to remain the UK’s Prime Minister will inform the EU27 of her in the EU. intentions as regards the negotiations on the Our committee has heard significant concerns withdrawal of the UK from the EU. from some sectors. For example, will Scotland’s Despite it being almost a year since the universities be able to continue to participate in referendum, there is still a lack of clarity on the research programmes with other European future relationship that the UK will seek to have universities? Will EU academics continue to seek with the EU. The UK Government’s white paper to work in Scottish universities? Will the stated that the UK would exponential growth of Scotland’s food and drink “forge a new strategic partnership with the EU, including a sector, which is a very successful export sector, wide reaching, bold and ambitious free trade agreement” be sustainable post-Brexit? Will we still be able to welcome EU citizens to Scotland to make their and that it would homes here and contribute to our society and “seek a mutually beneficial new customs agreement with economy? Will the future relationship cover the EU.” services, which are a hugely important part of Scotland’s economy? Scotland’s financial services However, we know that the EU27 consider that it sector must be able to operate freely within the is not possible to have full access to the single EU. Will producers be able to export to the EU market without being a member of that single without the imposition of tariffs and non-tariff market.