EUROPE: THE number of people who show more than a passing interest in politics is low throughout the EU.

Very few people could tell you how the institutions of this country work, let alone those of the EU, yet without the work of those institutions the level of cooperation that has achieved peace in Europe over the past 55 years would not have happened.

It is a tribute to the work of the European Commission that the 20 members nominated by the member states have lived up to the oath of office where they renounce the defence of national interests and work for the common good. They are responsible for developing new laws and policies and overseeing them. They encourage member states to harmonise laws, regulations and standards in order to encourage better trading. All this work goes to the Council of Ministers.

The Council of Ministers is the major and final decision-making body where national interests are taken into account as proposals and amendments are made. There is important input to and from the directly elected European Parliament. Parliament has similar links to the Commission which means that no decisions are made without due and full consideration.

People complain that the Commissioners are not democratically elected. If they were they would lose their independence and have more power than state governments would like.

Remote as the machinery of any government might be to the citizens going about their daily business, they should not lose sight of the fact that without it our lives would run less smoothly. Blind criticism without understanding is an attack on democracy. It is incumbent on us all to take at least a basic interest in order to preserve what people have fought for in past years. - Bill Morehead, Darlington.

WAR AGAINST IRAQ

AS a retired oil company executive I have been intrigued by the Government's efforts to rubbish any suggestion that oil is behind the US's Iraq war obsession.

Oil, as the main source of energy, is a central theme in world politics. Without it modern society would cease to function. In May 2001 the US Bush government published its National Energy Policy Report. It stated that in 2000 the US had depended on oil imports for 50 per cent of its energy needs. By 2020 this dependency would rise to 75 per cent. The report calls for making access to the Gulf's oil reserves a high priority for the US.

It's time Tony Blair stopped behaving as President Bush's poodle and woke up to their real agenda. - D Morse, Chester-le-Street.

I AM against the war and find Ray Mallon's (Echo, Feb 28) arguments faulty.

Few disagree that Saddam is an evil man. He is now contained, and poses no direct threat to this country. Many others as evil as he is certainly do and they are not contained.

As to whether we would have elected a shallow man as Prime Minister, this is irrelevant. In this country as opposed to the US, we elect governments not Prime Ministers. I suspect, however, that we did not elect this Government to pursue global policing activities, but to concentrate on the many problems of our own country, many of which still exist and indeed have got worse under his stewardship.

We are, after all, a very small country whose taxpayers at the last election would have baulked at voting for a party which was going to spend £1.5bn of our money on a very questionable war.

There are many problems that could be solved domestically with that kind of money.

The credible alternatives to war are already in place - the inspectors and their powers to destroy the weapons they find.

Why kill innocent Iraqis and British servicemen to achieve the same result?

Regarding global stability, I maintain that a war will only serve to polarise the Muslim world against the West generally, and this country in particular, resulting in even more mayhem. - Chris Greenwell, Aycliffe Village.

TONY Blair makes the wrong comparison when he describes the situation he is in as Prime Minister with that of Neville Chamberlain in 1938. Where Neville Chamberlain was wrong was to trade the ceding of Sudetenland to Germany, and thus weaken Czechoslovakia, for a promise of peace from Hitler. He did have the alternative to back Czechoslovakia which was under threat, and invite France and the Soviet Union to come on side, but he chose to appease Hitler.

I acknowledge that many people agreed with him, because they thought it better not to have war.

At the time it took more courage to stand up against Nazi Germany because it had modern industry and a powerful war machine.

The position now is different. Iraq is weakened through a long war with Iran, Desert Storm and over a decade of sanctions.

If Tony Blair wants us to trust his judgement he should not give examples from a history he does not begin to understand.

He ought to realise that he is not carrying the country with him, and until he can provide convincing arguments he would be best advised not to go out on a limb, and have our forces engaged in a war without the unambiguous support of the country behind them. - Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.

Weardale

WHEN will the Government agencies, like One NorthEast, begin to realise that the jobs that are needed in the Weardale area have to be in manufacturing.

Has it not dawned on them that the core of Weardale people are miners, quarry men and foundry workers? These are the industries that need financial help.

Any new manufacturing jobs coming into this area should be welcomed. But instead of this the jobs that are being promoted by these government bodies are from Fantasy Island.

I wonder if they will have enough Mickey Mouse outfits for us, to welcome all these visitors, to this Disney Land. - Kenneth Lally, Bishop Auckland.