A separate Scotland 'would have to apply to join the EU' The President of the European Commission has stepped into the row about an independent Scotland's place in the European Union by saying all new states will have to apply to join. José Manuel Barroso's comments contrast with the SNP's claim that Scotland would automatically become a member state if voters back independence in 2014. Mr Barroso told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that he couldn't comment on specific cases, but he added: "A new state, if it wants to join the EU, has to apply to become a member, like any state."