Scotland : 40 years in the European Union : a historical account of Scotland in the European Union, 1973–2013.

Of all the erendum would be held throughout parts of the UK, only the Western the UK, and the only one until a bal- Isles and Shetland voted ‘no’, defy- lot on the Alternative Vote in May ing the national trend. [...] With the economies of Member would revive European integration States having improved following and allow the Community to com- the recession of the early 1980s, pete economically with the United in 1988 the European regional States. [...] For the fi rst the EU, as well as the creation of time, citizens of each Member State a Committee of the Regions, by the also become European citizens. [...] The European Committee’s fi rst chairman was the Labour MSP Hugh Donald Dewar, the new First Minis- Henry, also a member of the CoR, ter of Scotland, marked the opening while it also benefi ted from the con- with a speech at the European Par- siderable European experience of liament in Strasbourg. [...] If the application is accepted by the Council acting unanimously, an agreement is then negotiated between the applicant state and the Member States on the conditions of admission and the adjustments to the treaties which such admission entails.