Commenting ahead of the Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) launch in Brussels tonight, Liberal Democrat Energy spokesperson Liam McArthur said:

"If Scotland is to achieve its potential as a global powerhouse in renewables, the European dimension will be critical. Only time will tell what practical value the Green Energy Centre will add and how seriously it will be taken by the key players both in Brussels and the other Member States.

"The suspicion, of course, is that SNP Ministers are more concerned with vanity projects on the international stage than practical action to secure green collar jobs.

"In the meantime, as a practical step, Ministers could use the opening of the Brussels centre to end uncertainty over the future of research and development funding for the renewables sector."