ALTHOUGH I am sure there are better things we can spend our time doing than speculating on the EU's attitude to an independent Scotland, there are a few basic points in Mary Rolls's letter which should not pass uncorrected (May 18).

Anyone fulminating against the EU ought to know by now that no such body as the ''European Constitutional Court'' exists. If Mrs Rolls's reference is to the European Court of Justice, she ought to be aware that it has a clearly defined role in interpreting the treaties signed between the member states and the Community Law they have created. It has no place in the internal constitutional worries of member states, and I am sure it does not want one.

For the purpose of funding programmes and the like, Scotland is indeed treated just like ''any other EU region''. But before one starts to sneer, it should be remembered that these mere regions include such small-fry as the Free State of Bavaria (population 11,922,000), the autonomous region of Catalonia (6,096,621), and Lombardy (8,939, 376). Which is not bad company for Scotland to be keeping.

Most important of all, before people start recycling old British hyper-ventilations about the ''continental government at Brussels'', they should take at least five minutes to read the pronouncements of such dangerous unifiers as Chancellor Kohl, who only recently made it explicitly clear once again that there were never any EU plans for a European super-state and there never will be.

There is no harm in speculating about the future of Scotland's relations with the European Union - but it is time that people did so with at least some of the facts to hand.

John Edward,

Scotland Europa,

35 Square de Meeus,

B-1000 Brussels.

May 20.

WHAT a provocative letter from Jedburgh (Will EU accept us as a nation? May 18).

Mary Rolls has indeed given us all food for thought! All these years, our children have been taught that the United Kingdom meant just that - the Union of the Crowns and Parliaments of Scotland and England. But no - it is merely a merging of component parts of these islands, whose collective identity will remain forever England!

And yet and yet . . . on June 10 one of the so-called 12 Regions of Britain will open the world's greatest sporting celebration in Paris, the Coupe Mondiale, with a contest - naturally in the minor key - against Brazil, the most celebrated football nation in the history of the game.

Who knows, perhaps in eight years' time if the World Cup visits our neighbour's shores it may yet be ''another opening, another show'' - like Yorkshire versus Brazil?

Give us a break!

Marion Anderson,

Elmhurst, Station Road,

Langbank.

May 18.

YOUR System Three poll on independence is all very interesting and will no doubt give continuing comfort to ''that's it then'' Unionists. The fact is, however, that the EU (and even the UK with devolution) is moving on. The advent of the Euro is likely to lead to greater economic and political integration.

Surely Mary Rolls (May 18) was about right when she suggested Scotland's political destiny lies where small national/European regional government meets the EU. The case for cutting out the Westminster middleman is almost bound to strengthen.

As your editorial suggests, Alex Salmond may have a mountain too climb up the slippery slope to independence. The way in which events are moving suggests that the slope will be less steep and the peak less high.

In a few years time your ''independence'' poll will have a lead question like ''Do you think Scotland should maximise its standing in the EU?'' This is, of course, a question to which even fearties can assent.

James Nelson,

17 Watermill Avenue, Lenzie.

May 21.