Sir, Regarding ‘Stone centre teaches old hands new tricks in Spain‘: I was really happy to read about the Andulusian stones of Spain and the technology centre. I think it would be good if representatives of the centre were to come to my country, hire a hall and speak about their work. They may get [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Veteran EU official defends Merkel’s European vision‘: Europeans should take great pride in the fact that they have made more progress in moving beyond the nation state than any other region. Of course, it is a messy, persistently discouraging project. Your success should be primarily measured by the magnitude of your cutting-edge vision. [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU to kick off citizens’ initiative with tougher rules‘: The Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) welcome the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) as a unique opportunity to breathe new life into European democracy and strengthen the participation of citizens in EU policymaking, but it would be a terrible mistake to limit the potential of [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘Electric cars push needs’careful thinking’‘ The discussion about electric cars is very narrow. Many people around the world question the Western lifestyle, with its huge mobility and huge consumption of energy, including fuel for the transport sector. Any action should start with questioning transport ‘needs’ and look at how we can maintain essential [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU to convene ‘sub-group’ of innovation commissioners‘: Convening a subgroup of innovation commissioners is an interesting idea. But I think important organisations like the European Patent Office (which has been successfully dealing with intellectual property for over 30 years now) should be invited around the table. Patrick Bodart Principal Director European Patent Office

Sir, Regarding ‘Brussels pushes for electric cars‘: The European Commission (EC) released a communication on 28 April in response to a request from the Spanish Presidency to prepare a report on Clean Fuel Vehicles, focusing specifically on electric vehicles (EVs). Spain now produces as much as 30% of its electricity from renewable sources, including solar [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU officials offered hotline for ‘clear writing’‘: I was pleased to read that the European Commission is keen to promote and use clear language – not a quick or easy job. I wonder, however, why DGT’s commissioner needed 27 words to say what 17, 14, 10 or 7 words would have said instead: [...]

Sir, Regarding ‘EU eyes increased role for organic farming‘: I have been involved with improving the quality of water that is used for the production of food for over a decade. Once the quality has been improved, pathogenic diseases tend to be much less without the use of chemicals – just by using oxygen. Clive [...]