Brussels, 30/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, Jonathan Faull, European Union spokesman, explained to the press in response to an article in the Financial Times that it was perfectly normal for Commissioners to write letters and e-mails, especially when they can't participate in the College of Commissioners meetings. The newspaper article said that the Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, had written a letter to colleagues in a rather "robust" language that was unfavourable to the idea of centralising the European Commission's External Relations responsibilities. The letter had been written well before the adoption of the Commission communication to the European Convention on 22 may, therefore during the initial phase of the debate between Commissioners, explained Mr Faull. Mr Prodi, who has known about this letter for some time, has not therefore reacted to this FT article, who in citing an official close to the Commissioner, asserted that Mr Patten "believes in the close identity between foreign policy and the nation state" and supported "short-term proposals to increase co-operation with Mr Solana"