Sir, Regarding ‘EU promotes smart metering in fight against global warming‘: ‘Smart’ seems to be the solution to climate change these days: smart cars, smart meters, smart grids, smart cities. PWR has produced a position paper on smart grids and their cousin smart meters, and it is in the context of this paper and the [...]

Sir, You have recently published several articles on the European Union’s initiative to promote smart cities and energy- efficient technology (‘EU to promote clean energy with smart cities‘, ‘Europe to triple funding for energy research‘, ‘Brussels to propose mandatory EU energy savings goal‘). None of these articles mention the cheap and simple measure of encouraging [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Czechs warned they could lose EU commissioner‘: I thought that the question of the compatibility of the Benes decrees with EU law had been resolved upon accession of the Czech Republic. What I read in official documents was rather convincing, namely that EU law cannot be applied retroactively. If it were, one could [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Choosing Mr(s). Europe‘: Whilst the list of eminent names is most assuredly excellent and no doubt the ‘candidates’ have agreed to their names being put forward, there seems to be one missing: Dora Bakoyannis, the retiring foreign minister of Greece. Bakoyannis is surely the most eminent Greek stateswoman of our time. Having survived [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Danish minister sounds climate wake-up call‘: The Danish minister is right because a text as long and complicated as the current one is not helpful. I hope we can do better. Best regards, J. Kinnas AFES-PRESS NGO Germany

Sir, Regarding ‘Interview: Switzerland ‘totally disconnected’ from EU‘: Instead of Washington or Beijing, the president of the Swiss Federal Assembly (parliament) has chosen Brussels for her 2009 official trip, accompanied by a representative of each of the main Swiss parties. Their visit is one more sign of the fundamental importance Swiss authorities attach to the [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Regions want more say on EU growth and jobs policy‘ [1]: I would like to share with you and your readers my shock and bewilderment upon reading the following statement in the Committee of the Regions’ final report on a New Strategy for Sustainable Growth: “The Council of the European Union and the [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Blair still first in line for EU president, say UK media‘: To me it seems pretty obvious that people close to Tony Blair are spreading the idea that he could become Council president. There is not a shred of evidence that this is a realistic option. Angela Merkel is known to oppose Blair’s [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Commission tables action plan on urban mobility‘: The twenty actions announced by the European Commission last week in the Action Plan on Urban Mobility fail to properly take into account cycling as a sustainable urban transport mode. Hence the European Cyclists’ Federation is disappointed with this draft Action Plan. Nowadays many towns and [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Resounding Irish ‘yes’ to EU’s Lisbon Treaty‘: Most politicians hailed the outcome of the second referendum on the same Lisbon Treaty. Not surprisingly, the loudest amongst them were the Brussels Eurocrats whose proliferation and revenue is further secured by the Treaty [1], [2]. Some politicians were even insolent enough to claim that the [...]