Plaid are highlighting that Wales has less MEPs than new EU states

Wales' allocation of MEPs is to be cut and Plaid is stressing what it sees as a lack of representation in Europe.

The launch had a football theme to show the differing allocation of MEPs for Wales and Latvia which have similar sized populations.

Nine 'footballers' in Latvian shirts and four in Welsh jerseys walked down the Millennium Stadium tunnel.

Plaid believes that an independent Wales would be able to win more influence within the EU and translate that into economic benefits.

Party president, Dafydd Iwan, claims the election will be seen by many voters as a referendum on the UK Government's handling the Iraq war.

Jill Evans MEP is among the four Plaid candidates

Plaid is putting forward four candidates for election to the European Parliament - Jill Evans MEP, Jonathan Blackwood, Eilian Williams and Gwenllian Lansdown.

There are five MEPs representing Wales at the moment, but the 10 June poll will only return four.

Plaid claims that will leave Wales with less influence than other countries of similar or smaller size.

Jill Evans said: "Our aspirations are for Wales to be able to enjoy the benefits which Ireland has gained from Europe but, in practice, we lag behind even the new entry states.

"Latvia's population is 500,000 less than Wales yet, as a new member state, it will have more than double the number of MEPs which we will have."

Dafydd Iwan will also emphasise Plaid's record of anti-war campaigning.

"It is inevitable that this election will be seen by many as a referendum on Blair's decision to go to war," he said.