The Scottish Government will only set out its position on why it believes an independent Scotland will remain in the European Union (EU) in a year's time, the First Minister said.
Alex Salmond has repeatedly been challenged to reveal if legal advice has been taken to back up claims from SNP ministers that Scotland would still be part of the EU if it left the UK.
Labour leader Johann Lamont said the First Minister so far "fails to provide a single shred of evidence" on the subject.
She challenged him on the issue at Holyrood the day after the President of the European Commission stepped into the row over an independent Scotland's place in the EU by saying all new states have to apply for membership.
Jose Manuel Barroso said: "A new state, if it wants to join the EU, has to apply to become a member of the EU, like any state."
Mr Salmond pledged that when the white paper on independence is published in a year's time, "these areas of continuing European membership for an independent Scotland will be examined in great detail".
He said this would happen "a full year before the decision on the referendum".
He stated: "Everything in that white paper will be fully consistent and informed by the legal advice that we receive."
