BOTH Eric Wood and Richard Whiting (Letters, April 12) are incorrect - the idea behind the European Union did not materialise during or after Nazi Germany or the Second World War. It was earlier.
European unity and dialogue has been a political ideal for centuries. What is distinct about Jean Monnet's visit in founding the predecessor bodies to the EU was the idea of a supranational authority of officials.
This vision was first articulated by British civil servant Arthur Salter in 1931 in The United States Of Europe. A good friend of Jean Monnet, it was Salter who inspired the EU Commission, the authority which causes most concern among European Union bodies.
Mark Hill,
Green Party councillor for Fishergate Ward,
Reginal Grove, York.
Updated: 11:17 Thursday, April 21, 2005
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