About a year ago, the European Commission appeared ready to accommodate Scottish independence within the EU. However, mostly they were ambiguous about this. Then Catalan independence came up and, after a month or so of contradictory statements, the official line became that secession implies EU exit. I suspect Spain pressured to harden the official line.

Then again, if the UK breaks up, couldn't Scotland be the successor state to EU membership and the rest of the UK exit? After all, on paper the Act of Union between Scotland and England was between equals...

I distribute. You re-distribute. He gives your hard-earned money to lazy scroungers. -- JakeS