It was with heavy hearts that MEPs returned to Brussels on 4 January to join in Europe's three minutes silence marking the Asian tsunami's tragic toll. The SNP is committed to ensuring that the Commission maximises the level of finance released to alleviate the suffering and assist the economic recovery of communities devastated by the disaster.
International aid is set to dominate the EU agenda this year. Before the UK takes over in July, it's the turn of a tiny, independent nation - Luxembourg (pop 400,000) – to hold the EU Presidency. A chance for Scots to take note of how much more the independent nations of Europe are achieving over "legislative regions" like Scotland. A chance to see how much more an independent country can do to create a just and humanitarian world.
Luxembourg and Malta, with populations roughly equal to Edinburgh, have 11 MEPs between them, and a Commissioner each. Both take their turn at the helm of the EU Presidency, and, in equal partnership with their larger European neighbours, they play a key role in setting Europe's agenda. In fact of the new countries joining the EU last year following enlargement many, like Scotland, have around 5 million citizens. Of the 25 countries now in the EU, some 19 have populations of 10 million or less, leaving monoliths like the United Kingdom way out of step with the new Europe in which small nations form the majority.
The EU doesn't have a rule to say a country has to be so big before it can be a member - just that it has to be an independent, sovereign state. That's where Scotland misses out. The same goes for the United Nations where Scotland is nowhere to be seen. This is in spite of the obvious priority Scots place on humanitarian issues, evidenced by the millions of pounds donated by Scottish citizens and businesses in response to December's tragic events.
equal status with in the EU and the world, as is our right.