When in Rome

FORTY years ago this week the Treaty of Rome was signed. This momentous event was marked by a special exhibition at the EPIC centre in Dublin. MEP Bernie Malone told the opening that pictures of the leaders of six nations signing the treaty looked very dignified indeed but they were in fact signing blank sheets of paper. As so often happens at grand summits, there was a last minute breakdown in agreement on the wording and the translations weren't ready in time. The text was added above the signatures later.

Then Colm Larkin, head of the EU office here, said there were always sceptics and recalled one of the greatest misjudgments of all time.Two years before the signing, the six nations - West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - agreed their course of action at the Messina conference in Sicily. The British envoy, a Mr Bretherton, stormed out. His opening, and parting speech went as follows: "The future treaty which you are discussing has no chance of being agreed; if it was agreed, it would have no chance of being ratified; and if it was ratified it would have no chance of being applied. And if it was applied it would be totally unacceptable to Britain. You speak of agriculture, which we won't like, of power over custom$,, which we take exception to, and of institutions, which frighten us. Monsieur le president, messieurs, au revoir et bonne chance."