SIR - In reply to Andrew Johnson and John Reynolds (January 29), I was in court some years ago when Robert McCracken QC, on behalf of my client, reminded the Court of Appeal that by virtue of the European Communities Act 1972, the European Court of Justice is the supreme court of the English legal system.

In fairness, this is the case only in matters which are governed by the EU Treaty.

If it were not for the fact that the UK joined the then EEC, and submitted to procedures under which an independent European Commission can take the UK to the European Court of Justice for failing to comply with environmental standards, I venture to say that our rivers and beaches would probably be as filthy as they were in the 1970s and 1980s, our air would be more polluted, our wildlife and nature conservation sites would not be anything like as well protected as they are now.

I make no political point other than to state from experience that in this area membership of Europe has been a massive force for good, and the alternative would have been seriously bad for our environment.

Perhaps it is more rational to consider the pros and cons of Europe in relation to particular issues rather than in simplistic terms of sovereignty or more simply who is for or against Europe full stop.

Or is that too much to ask?

PETER SCOTT, Partner, Parkinson Wright, Worcester.