Scottish MEPs believe the EU faces an uncertain future and even the prospect of being torn apart with other states likely to hold membership referenda after the UK vote.
An email from the SNP’s Alyn Smith, seen by The Press and Journal, has floated the idea to politicians across the continent that the June 23 poll could mark the beginning of tumultuous times for the Union.
And, in a question and answer session with journalists in Brussels, Mr Smith’s colleague Ian Hudghton appeared to back his case, as did Conservative Ian Duncan.
In the email, Mr Smith wrote: “Your country may not be having an EU referendum – yet. However, the last few months have convinced me that we should all remind ourselves of the need to make a positive case for Europe.
“The status quo cannot be taken for granted, and history proves our member states are more than capable of regress as well as advancement.”
All three MEPs talked about the rise of Euroscepticism in many places, arguing it was not simply a British issue.
Mr Hudghton argued that other member countries would use the UK vote to try and make gains for themselves.
He said: “If it’s a No vote and it’s an exit, then people are going to be looking at what the exit package looks like.
“If it’s a vote to remain, which I hope it is, then folk are going to be looking at the alleged special deal and asking if there’s something in it for us.”
Mr Duncan added: “When it comes to what happens next, that is in the hands of the British people, but thereafter, it is in the hands of the European people who, when it comes to European Parliament elections, are remarkably reluctant to turn out.
“A colleague in Croatia was telling me it was 19% at the recent election. That is a recently acceded member state.”
In the Q&A, Mr Smith said one of the most significant problems was “nobody does Europe properly” and pointed out the European ministers in both Scotland and the UK were junior positions without a seat at the Cabinet table.
He said: “I could name you politicians in every party, but Europe is always somewhere else. There has always been that disconnect between domestic politics and an EU level and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that the EU is denigrated, undermined.
“We are discussing domestic policy about technical things, just in a different place.
“We’ve got a bad case of it, lots of other countries have the same thought that Europe is always somewhere else.
“I never want to go through this again.”