THE Scottish Parliament will have a strong voice in Brussels and be able to mould European legislation to its own circumstances, it was claimed yesterday.
Chairman of the European Parliament's legal affairs committee, Willy De Clercq, said he was aware that Scotland was the only country in the continent with its own judicial system but no legislature.
''That situation is unique, but it is about to change,'' he said during a visit by the committee to Edinburgh.
He said that, despite the reservation of foreign affairs to the UK Government as a member state, Scotland would have a major role in shaping European legislation, both in scrutiny beforehand and in implementation.
Mr De Clercq, a former Minister in the Belgian Government and a former European Commissioner, said pre-legislative scrutiny was much more important in European law and it would be difficult for the UK Government to ignore strongly-expressed views from the Scottish Parliament.
Similarly, Holyrood would be responsible for implementing such legislation and could adapt it to suit its own requirements.
Lothians Euro-MP David Martin said this could lead to potential differences as to how matters were implemented in England but there would be no problem, so long as the objectives of the legislation were achieved.
He said there would be a much stronger role for a new office in Brussels to represent directly the interests of Scotland, along the lines of those run already by regional parliaments in Germany and Spain.
Home Affairs Minister Henry McLeish said Holyrood would be able to give proper scrutiny to European law which it did not get at present at Westminster.
''The Scottish Parliament will be able to shape European legislation for Scotland's distinctive institutions and needs,'' he said.
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