Membership of the EU would require some form of hard border between Scotland and England.
The rules governing the relationship at the time of accession will shape the nature of the border between Scotland and the rest of the UK, and the tasks required to manage it. But, as we have outlined above and as has been seen in the Brexit process, ‘hardening’ any state border brings costs, disruption and myriad complex challenges, and it is important that these are anticipated and planned for as much as possible. Assuming responsibility for managing an EU border across Britain need not preclude cross-border cooperation, including in areas like policing, criminal justice and security, where EU competence is more limited. Indeed, effective management of the border would be supported considerably by cooperation between authorities on either side of it.