With your permission, Sir, I propose to take Questions numbers 1 and 2 together.
I have seen a report attributing to the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and to a member of his staff the statements mentioned in these questions.
While I have not seen the text of the statement actually made by Professor Erhard, I presume that what he had in mind is that certain European countries which are members of E.F.T.A. might feel unable to subscribe to the Rome Treaty because of its possible political implications. These implications are, of course, important and would need to be taken fully into account in any examination of acceptance of the Rome Treaty. There is nothing, however, in that Instrument which is directly related to questions of defence, nor is there any reason to think that membership of NATO is a condition of subscribing to the Treaty.
I do not quite understand the meaning of the expression "political institutions" in the statement attributed to Dr. Meyer-Cording. I have just referred to the possible political implications of the Rome Treaty. This Instrument provides, under Article 4, that the tasks entrusted to the Community shall be ensured by a number of institutions, each of which—to quote the Rome Treaty—"shall act within the limits of the powers conferred upon it by this Treaty."