I READ with interest - and a little humour - M Hunt's letter regarding the European Union. My first instinct is that he/she is living on another planet.

M Hunt seems to be under the misapprehension that Europe is already a Federal Republic. Well, I am sorry to disappoint him, but as yet there is no European Nation.

The EU is a collective of separate nation states, therefore there cannot be the one nationality of "European" as he states. All participating members of the European Community still hold sovereignty over their territories.

Also, there never will be a single Federal Europe encompassing the geographical mass that is the continent of the same name because, with the current amount of top heavy bureaucracy and rampant corruption, it would be ungovernable. Despite all the posing and posturing, major players such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom will never give up their absolute sovereign power against the wishes of the majority.

The European Community came in to being in the post war years. It was intended as an area of free trade and economic, agricultural and industrial co-operation for the mutual benefit of all members, not to be a "Superstate."

To cover the thorny problems that will come with the 10 "new arrivals" in May, yes, I agree with M Hunt that everyone should have access to benefits, jobs, housing and a decent standard of living.

But throughout Europe, standards vary. We happen to have one of the best welfare systems in geographical Europe but, why should that system be allowed to be abused by people just because they belong to the same collective as we do?

Our welfare and health system is already in meltdown with the current population of this island.

GEOFFREY K RYLAND,

Kidderminster.