European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso was "extremely unwise and inaccurate" to claim that it may be "impossible" for an independent Scotland to join the EU, a former EC director general has said.
Jim Currie, a former EC ambassador to Washington who led the Commission's team on the Kyoto climate talks, said Mr Barroso's comparison between Scotland and Kosovo was "unfortunate".
Mr Currie's view was backed by Dr Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive of the European Policy Centre think-tank, who said uneasiness about separatist movements elsewhere in the EU would be insufficient grounds to block Scotland's membership.
The "significant probability" of a Conservative referendum to leave the EU should also be taken into account, Mr Zuleeg told Holyrood's European and External Relations Committee.
Both said the EU would take a pragmatic approach backed with "tough negotiations" on Scotland's share of the UK's opt-outs of the Schengen passport-free travel area, the euro and most notably the budget rebate.
Last week, Mr Barroso said: "We've seen that Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance, so it's to some extent a similar case because it's a new country and so I believe it's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of one of our countries getting the agreement of the other."
Mr Currie said: "The statement he made was extremely unwise and I also think it was inaccurate."
"I don't think he was correct, and I don't necessarily think that this opinion is shared either among all the member states or even necessarily within the European Commission."
A more appropriate parallel would be German unification where the political situation required a degree of pragmatism, with East Germany incorporated into the EU in a matter of months, he said.
"Kosovo was an unfortunate example," he said.
"Scotland already has been applying the highest principles of democracy and human rights."
He added: "We would be talking about a territory which is currently part of a full member state. We're dealing with people who would have certain rights as EU citizens and which would be very difficult to take away, and nobody would want to.
"The bottom line for me is that it would be dealt with in a pragmatic way, and it would involve inevitable negotiations which would be rather tough.
"I don't think it would be an easy slide into the future in terms of the principles.
"Everybody would recognise that Scotland would have the right to become a full blown member but it would be about the conditions."
Dr Zuleeg said: "I cannot envisage that Scotland would not be part of the EU.
"On the comments of President Barroso, I think it is very difficult to say that Scotland would not be a member if it so desires to be.
"It might be a question of timing and process of accession, but the final outcome given that Scotland is already fulfilling the vast majority of the laws required - I don't see how an independent Scotland could be blocked indefinitely."
The politics of the situation will be more important than the legalities, he said.
"Those countries which have significant separatist movements in their own country would feel uneasy about it but I don't think that is a ground to veto an application for a country which fulfils the conditions," he said.
"We should also take into account that there is a significant probability that there will be a UK referendum on EU membership, and that might return a No to EU membership. For me the two referenda are linked."
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is viewed as a potential candidate for EU membership against the wishes of five EU countries, including Spain which refuses to recognise its independence.
Delegates from six other Balkan legislatures seeking EU membership watched today's proceedings in Holyrood.
Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, Macedonia and Montenegro sent delegates as part of the Network of Parliamentary Committees of Economy and Finance of the Western Balkan Countries.
A Scottish Parliament spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Parliament welcomed the Network as part of a collaborative project between the Network of Western Balkan legislatures, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Scottish Parliament.
"The visit follows the Scottish Parliament's commitment to offering practical information, advice and support to developing democracies through partnerships and assistance programmes."
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