Viennese whirl

International law conferences are nothing if not entertaining in their ability to tangle with cultural sensitivities.

We may well be gradually moving towards a single Europe - a little spat between Britain and France over military action in Iraq notwithstanding - but there are still pitfalls in the road to unification.

Indeed, at last week's annual European Bar Presidents conference in Vienna, there was plenty of scope for faux pas.

For example, the small national flags that were perched on the round table before each delegation presented a minefield of difficulties for the organisers, with the completely wrong flag being used for Bosnia and Herzegovina and a particularly virulently loyalist version being plonked in front of the Northern Ireland group.

On the positive side, the event illustrated just how eloquent many European lawyers can be.

Italian Claudio Cocuzza from Milan and the president of the Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats - Europe's young lawyers group - addressed the conference in excellent English but provided his own almost simultaneous translation into equally excellent French.

Perhaps Mr Cocuzza ought to be sent in to mediate between Blair and Chirac.