Finnish umbrellas are the raining champion

Date: 16/11/00

Presidency umbrellas handed out during Finland's stint at the EU helm in 1999 can still occasionally be spotted on Brussels' many rainy days.

So when the French issued their own versions at last month's Biarritz summit, speculation was rife that the new models, in tasteful brown, could soon be taking over.

But less than a month later, there are several reports that the French umbrellas are already falling apart, with a range of defects varying from ejection button failure to widespread spoke buckling.

Comparisons between the quality of the two countries' presidencies would be superficial but are inevitable.