Тема IV.

THE EU AND RUSSIA'S INTERESTS

At the foundation of EU enlargement is a desire to support democratic transformation and promote prosperity and stability across Europe. The economic dimension of the enlargement process obliges candidate countries to integrate and harmonize their economies with that of the European Union. Even though Russia is not a candidate country, this integration process affects it as well.

More than a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia remains outside the European integration processes under way in Central and Eastern Europe as part of the vision of creating "Greater Europe." This concept of a "Greater Europe" raises questions for Russia about its place in Europe that it has yet to resolve.

Solving this question is essential if a new split in Europe is to be avoided, and the solution involves gradually integrating Russia into the main European institutions. EU enlargement and NATO expansion, along with the problem of Kaliningrad, make a need for solutions now more acute than ever.

Russian authorities initially looked at EU enlargement mostly from an economic point of view. Most Russian analysts said the macroeconomic impact of enlargement would be ultimately beneficial to Russia, even though there would be difficulties and new problems to sort out during the initial phases of the process. Russia drew up a list of concerns that it presented to the European Union in order to get assurance that the enlargement process would not threaten Russia's legitimate political and economic security interests.

The Russians also saw the political consequences of EU enlargement as being ultimately favorable. For a start, Russia and the union do not have any serious security disagreements, and they share common foreign policy objectives and interests in areas such as meeting the challenges of the post-Cold War world, including ethnic, religious and territorial conflicts, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism and other transborder problems, such as organized crime, illegal immigration and other issues.

Russia and the European Union both support increased cooperation in accordance with international law and oppose a unilateral approach to resolving the main issues on the international agenda. For Russian officials, EU enlargement, unlike NATO expansion, has never been perceived as a threat to Russia's security interests.

Secondly, one of the conditions the European Union laid down in negotiations with the candidate countries was that they over come the "Soviet syndrome" – get over their anti-Russian mood and normalize relations with Moscow. This applied especially to the Baltic states, which had at times used historical grievances toward Russia in attempts to pressure NATO and EU officials.

Thirdly, EU membership of Central and Central European countries, including the Baltic states, could open the way to new and improved relations between Russia and these countries, as they adopted not just the economic model, but also the political standards, and relations of the European Union.

GENERAL PROBLEMS

Russia's main concern about EU enlargement, both in the political and economic sense, was that there would be a growing gap between it and Europe. The European Union undertook steps to reduce this gap by proposing such initiatives as the Northern Dimension Program, a European regional program that also includes Russia's northwestern regions.

But over time, lack of financing has turned this program into something that is more about words than action. The European Council approved an action plan for the Northern Dimension Program in Portugal in June 2000, but financing remained insufficient. At the same time, however, the program is an important step for Russia and the European Union and sets a model for what could become a key direction of Russia’s integration into Europe.

It is in Russia's interests that the enlargement process and reform of the European Union's decision-making procedures not affect its functioning as one the key European international institution. In this sense, Russia's views coincide with those of the core group of EU members that stress that reforms within the European Union must be synchronized and coordinated with the strategy for taking in new members. Russia is concerned about to what extent the European Union will emerge from enlargement more effective and economically stronger and, therefore, of more interest to Russia as a political and economic partner.

Moscow also has concerns that the influx of new members still not entirely over the "post-Soviet syndrome" could affect the way the European Union sees Russia as a partner. Going on the experience of NATO expansion, Russia fears that theses countries will hold back their anti-Russian sentiments during the membership negotiation process and then let them show through again once they have become members, putting a brake on development of cooperation with Russia. Particularly sensitive is cooperation on political security. A cooling of relations in this area would be counterproductive for Europe and could affect Russia's so far generally favorable perception of European political and defense integration.

The Schengen Agreements were developed and implemented over the first half of the 1990s as part of the project to create a single market within which there would be free movement of goods, services, capital and people. As part of this integration, the countries in the zone had to unify their visa procedures. New members have to bring their legislation into line with EU laws, and this includes having the same list of countries whose citizens need visas and the same laws on foreign citizens as the other EU countries.

European Union enlargement eastwards had meant changes for Russia, as the number of countries requiring Russians to get visas has crept closer to its borders. It has become harder for Russians to get Schengen visas with stricter conditions for visa applications and applications for visa extensions, an increased number of refusals and higher fees to pay.

Russia's concern is that the Schengen zone not become a new dividing wall in Europe. This is the motivation behind President Vladimir Putin's initiative to eventually have visa-free travel between Russia and Europe. This initiative has found support from Romano Prodi, the president of The European Commission.

One of the biggest issues for Russia regarding EU enlargement is the problem of free access to Kaliningrad Oblast, home to 950,000 Russian citizens. This issue has shown just essential it is for Russia, Poland and Lithuania to have good relations. These three countries have two important tasks to resolve. First, ensuring stable borders, which is one of the conditions for EU membership, and, second, ensuring that Russia's interests are taken into account.

The EU-Russia summit in November 2002 came up with a compromise solution to the problem of transit to and from Kaliningrad, and in April this year practical agreements were reached.

Negotiations between the European Union and Lithuania on transit for Russian citizens to and from Kaliningrad are now almost complete. The proposal is that Russians will be able to obtain a transit document using either their foreign or internal passport and will be able to spend up to 24 hours on Lithuanian territory. If all the procedures go ahead according to schedule, visa-free transit will begin July 1, 2003.

But transit of people is not the only problem in Kaliningrad Oblast. There are also issues to be resolved such as creating a stable climate for Russian and foreign investment, dealing with an economic model based on import-substitution production, which could collapse if Russia joins the World Trade Organization and has to lower import duties, and how to adapt the Kaliningrad economy to the EU economy that will surround it.

EU enlargement is a challenge both for it and for Russia. If the enlargement and integration processes do not take into account Russia's interests, then the aim of building a zone of stability and security across Europe will not be achieved. It will not be possible to have a prosperous and stable Europe in the west if the east of Europe is economically backward and unstable. The EU enlargement and integration process must also have a "Russian dimension", that is, a series of measures and programs to reduce the gap between Russia and Europe.

Notes:

the influx – the arrival of large numbers of people or large amounts of money, goods etc. especially suddenly: Tourism has brought a huge influx of wealth into the region;

the core group – a number of people who form a strong group which is very important to an organization: The club was beginning to develop a core of young people who were active in the community;

Active Vocabulary:

acute – 1. острый, проницательный; 2. сильный, резкий;

acute crisis – острый кризис;

acute problem – острая / злободневная проблема;

agenda – повестка дня;

it is on the agenda – это стоит на повестке дня;

to put on the agenda – ставить на повестку дня;

to bring something in line with something – приводить что-либо в соответствие с чем-либо;

climate – 1. климат; 2. атмосфера;

business climate – деловой климат, конъюнктура;

economic climate – состояние экономики;

to ensure a favourable climate – создать благоприятный климат;

to improve the international climate – оздоровить международную обстановку;

climate of confidence – атмосфера доверия;

climate of opinion – общественное мнение;

counterproductive – приводящий к обратным результатам; нецелесообразный;

enlargement – расширение;

to undergo limited enlargement – увеличиться в ограниченных пределах;

grievance – жалоба; недовольство; обида;

grievances against the administration – недовольство администрацией;

legitimate – законный, правильный; оправданный, обоснованный;

legitimate authority – законная власть;

legitimate excuse / reason – уважительная причина;

legitimate interests – законные интересы;

legitimate object – законная цель;

legitimate right – законное право;

legitimate use of force – законное применение силы;

proliferation – распространение; количественный рост; резкое нарастание;

to curtail the threat posed by proliferation – уменьшить угрозу (для человечества), возникшую в связи с распространением ядерного оружия;

proliferation risk – риск / опасность распространения ядерного оружия;

to minimize the proliferation risk – свести к минимуму риск / опасность распространения ядерного оружия;

horizontal proliferation – горизонтальное / количественное распространение ядерного оружия;

vertical proliferation – вертикальное / качественное распространение ядерного оружия;

visa – виза;

validity of visa – срок действия визы;

extension of the visa – продление визы;

to apply, to approach (smb.) for a visa – обратиться (к кому-либо) за получением визы;

visa valid for one year to cover all recognized exit / entry points – виза, действительная в течение года с правом выезда и въезда через любые установленные пункты.

Exercise 1. Give English equivalents:

односторонний подход к решению вопроса; представлять угрозу для безопасности страны; нормализовать отношения в политической сфере; прокладывать путь к отношениям на более высоком уровне; принимать новую экономическую доктрину; выступать с политическими инициативами; разрабатывать план действий; проводить эффективную экономическую политику; расширять сотрудничество; охлаждение политических отношений; создавать единое экономическое пространство; унифицировать процедуру выдачи виз; приводить законодательство в соответствие с предъявляемыми требованиями; учитывать интересы разных сторон; вырабатывать компромиссные решения; обеспечивать благоприятный климат для иностранных инвестиций

Exercise 2. Give Russian equivalents:

to support democratic transformation and promote prosperity and stability; to remain outside the European integration processes under way; make a need for solutions now more acute than ever; to adopt not just the economic model, but also the political standards; to bring the legislation into line with EU laws; the problem of free access to Kaliningrad Oblast; to create a stable climate for Russian and foreign investment; the aim of building a zone of stability and security across Europe; to deal with an economic model based on import-substitution production; to reduce the gap between Russia and Europe; ethnic, religious and territorial conflicts; proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; international terrorism and other transborder problems, such as organized crime, illegal immigration

Exercise 3. Look back at the text and find out the phrasal verbs which mean the following:

to sort out – to resolve, to settle sth: dispute, quarrel, matter, problem, tangle, muddle, confusion;

to draw up – to prepare, to draft, to compose: agreement, treaty, report, contract;

to lay down – to officially state, to prescribe, to indicate sth: rule, principle, what action to follow, how to proceed;

to get over – to overcome, to master or govern sth: one's embarrassment, confusion, shyness, inhibitions, stutter, disinclination to work;

to show through – to be visible underneath (a covering). Subject: colour, texture, nature, character;

to come up with – to discover or to produce sth: suggestion, idea, information, the right answer; plausible, convincing, reasonable explanation;

to go ahead – to proceed, make progress;

Translate the following:

1. You'd better send somebody over to sort the situation out. 2. It's his job to sort out real grievances. 3. The society have drawn up a similar list of six conditions. 4. He instructed a new will to be drawn up. 5. You'll find it's carefully drawn-up document. 6. The regulations lay down a rigid procedure for checking safety equipment. 7. It is laid down in the regulations that all members must carry their membership cards at all times. 8. She has acquired a very good French accent, but her English speech habits still show through. 9. I've sprayed the bonnet, but the marks and scratches show through the paint. 10. Her delight in life shows through the formal manner which she has to use on official occasions. 11. The old dog was so thin that his bones showed through his skin. 12. The committee will have to find means to get over the difficulty. I see no way of getting over the lack of newspapers. 13. The singer had to learn to get over her fear of the public. 14. The government has decided to go ahead with its plans to develop manufacturing in the North-East. 15. We can't do anything about your proposal until we get the go-ahead from the local Council. 16. Once our policy is formulated we intend to go ahead full stream. 17. I hope you can come up with a better plan. 18. It is customary for investigations to come up with not one but a number of different factors. 19. Scientists will have to come up with new methods of increasing the world's food supply.

Exercise 4. Use the prompts when translating:

Справляться с чувствами; преодолевать трудности (get over).

Продолжить внедрять начатый проект (go ahead).

Обдумывать, придумывать (come up with).

Составить контракт; оформить заявление на работу (draw up)

Это предписано правилами (lay down).

Он любит диктовать (распоряжаться) (lay down the law).

Он поставил условия, чтобы ему выплатили отпускные (lay down).

Она преодолела свою застенчивость и обратилась с просьбой (get over).

Он не смог пережить эту утрату (get over).

Свет проникает в комнату (show through).

Он придумал достойный выход из положения (come up with).

В экономической политике стали проявляться негативные тенденции (show through).

Exercise 5. Fill the corresponding prepositions into the following verb combinations from the text:

a solution ... the problem; negotiations ... transit; according ... schedule; to emerge ... enlargement; to creep closer ... the borders; to get visas ... stricter conditions ... visa applications; an increased number ... refusals and higher fees ... pay; to find support ... the president of the European Commission; ... same time; to deal ... an economic model based ... import-substitution production; to adapt the Kaliningrad economy ... the EU economy; the need ... the solution; Russian authorities initially looked ... EU enlargement mostly ... an economic point ... view;

Exercise 6. Give English/Russian equivalents using a dictionary if necessary:

visa

срок действия визы; продление визы; своевременная выдача визы; виза, действительная в течение года с правом выезда и въезда через любые установленные пункты; обратиться в посольство за получением визы; получить визу; выдать визу; выдать визу сразу же (при предъявлении паспорта); продлить визу; способствовать выдаче виз; отказать в выдаче визы; разрешить/ санкционировать выдачу визы

extension of the visa; tourist visa; transit visa; visitor visa; exit visa; exchange visitor visa; diplomatic visa; student visa; travel visa; to renew a visa; her visa expired six months ago; he was refused a visa because of his criminal record; he was arrested for overstaying his visa; visa regulations; visa restrictions; visa requirements; she entered the country on a student visa; Do you need a visa for Egypt?

issue (noun)

последние номера журнала; выпуск марок; комплект зимней одежды; предмет спора; я не хочу делать из этого историю; начать спорить с кем-либо; я жду результата; дело закончилось благополучно

the matter was brought to a successful issue; I await the issue; to join/take issue with someone on something; contentious issue; controversial issue; thorny issue; to debate the issue of legislation; a referendum was held to settle the issue; the necessity to focus on this one issue and not get sidetracked; the issue of birth control was touched on; the report highlights three issues; issues concerning the environment; to examine key issues to the reform; a special issue of stamps; the latest issues were sold out

Exercise 7. Study the information about the synonyms to the verb to support = to advocate, to uphold, to back (up), to champion then translate what follows:

to support = to advocate, to uphold, to back (up), to champion

– “прилагать усилия для облегчения чьей-либо деятельности или реализации чего-либо или выступить в защиту, в пользу кого/чего-либо” поддерживать, одобрять, поднимать дух, помогать, содействовать, способствовать, стоять за, отстаивать, защищать, ратовать, пропагандировать.

Синонимы отличаются друг от друга по следующим смысловым признакам:

1. масштаб деятельности субъекта;

2. ее природа или характер (деятельная или чисто словесная и т.п.);

3. условия, в которых находится субъект (находится ли он под угрозой или нет и т.п.);

4. наличие враждебных объекту сил.

to support – имеет наиболее широкое значение, обозначая поддержку любой природы и масштаба, оказываемую в любых условиях. Поэтому точный характер деятельности, обозначаемый словом support, часто зависит от контекста:

to support a candidate by voting – поддерживать кандидата, голосуя за него.

“Russia threatened to support Serbia; France would be bound to support Russia under the Treaty of Alliance -” “Россия угрожает выступить в защиту Сербии; Франция, связанная союзом с Россией, должна будет поддержать ее”.

to uphold – поддерживать, отстаивать, стоять за указывает на настойчивое и деятельное стремление субъектов сохранить то, что находится под угрозой гибели, исчезновения, ослабления и т.п.

to uphold the morale of the occupied capital – поддерживать боевой дух жителей оккупированной столицы;

to uphold the established order (traditions, romantic ideals, old customs, a realistic trend in art) поддерживать, отстаивать, стоять за, существующий порядок, романтические идеалы, старые обычаи, реалистическое направление в искусстве). В отличие от to support, to uphold обозначает более решительную поддержку: “You could not fail to see that she was deeply conscious of the authority of the church which upheld her ”(W.S. Maugham) ”Нельзя было не заметить, что она прекрасно понимала силу и авторитет церкви, поддержавшей ее”.

to advocate – (выступать в защиту, ратовать, пропагандировать) значит, “опровергая возражения или отбивая нападки, добиваться реализации или признания чего-либо, безопасности или неприкосновенности кого/чего-либо”:

to advocate peaceful cooperation – отстаивать, защищать, пропагандировать мирное сотрудничество. При этом, to advocate обычно предполагает поддержку в словесной форме: in his speech he advocated democratization of economy – в своей речи он отстаивал демократизацию экономики (высказывался в пользу демократизации экономики); the editorial advocated disarmament – передовая статья пропагандировала разоружение.

to back – (поддерживать, стоять за кем/чем-либо) в типичном случае обозначает энергичную и деятельную поддержку со стороны таких сил, которые лично и, может быть, материально заинтересованы в успехе какого-либо плана, начинания, предприятия и использует для их реализации свое влияние, авторитет, власть: the deputies backed the sheriff with a warrant of arrest – депутаты поддержали шерифа, выдав ему ордер на арест (преступника) его попытки получить новый препарат нашли поддержку со стороны некоторых известных ученых; the new invention was backed up by the firm – фирма поддержала новое изобретение.

to champion – защищать, бороться за, отстаивать) значит “открыто, с позиций справедливости выступать в защиту кого/чего-либо, обычно – слабого угнетенного, обиженного, находящегося в опасности”: nobody stepped forward to champion the unfortunate – никто не выступил в защиту несчастных; to champion the cause of – отстаивать, защищать, бороться за дело мира.

Translate the following paying attention to the usage of the verbs:

1. We need further facts to back up our statements.

2. Most members were against Mr Jones who would have lost his position if you hadn’t backed him up.

3. The conference championed the cause of religious freedom.

4. The drug company is supporting cancer research.

5. The People’s Daily featured an article supporting political reforms along the Western lines.

6. Some extremists are now openly advocating violence.

7. The President knew that some congressmen would support him with their votes.

8. As a police officer you are expected to uphold the law whether you agree with it or not.

9. Judge Davis upheld the country’s decision that the guns had been obtained illegally.

10. He advocates a reduction in military spending.

11. She championed the cause of the poor all her life.

12. The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors.

Exercise 8. Render the text making use of the word combinations below:

a priori – априори, принятое заранее дедуктивное умозаключение (от причины к следствию);

good/the good – благо;

to raise doubts – вызвать сомнение /поставить под сомнение;

hint at – намек на;

with evil, malicious intent – со злым умыслом;

short-sightedness – близорукость;

to outline/in outline – наметить в общих чертах/ в общих чертах;

after-effect/consequence – последствия;

to accept as one’s due, to take as a matter of course – принимать как должное(как принято считать);

to pick out, to single out – выделить.

Расширение Евросоюза – далеко не такое благо, как принято считать

(Вацлав Клаус, президент Чехии)

“Историческое значение расширения Европейского Союза, ряды которого пополнили10 новых государств, обсуждалось в последнее время активно. Слов сказано много, но боюсь, что серьезный анализ при этом почти отсутствовал. Практически все ораторы и комментаторы априори согласны с тем, что произошедшие перемены однозначно позитивны и полезны для всех. Любая попытка поставить под сомнение это утверждение, любой намек на критику считались близорукостью или злым умыслом. Я отважусь придать этой проблеме хотя бы общие очертания, выделив те элементы, которые помогут составить представление о последствиях расширения как для новых, так и для старых стран-членов, а также для ЕС в целом.”

Exercise 9. Create polemics answering the questions below using some handy hints on defending your position by creating convincing arguments:

Win or lose an argument

Offensive Defense

As you see it I’d agree with you to a certain extent

Wouldn’t you agree Possibly (may be so)

Wouldn’t you say I see (take) your point

Isn’t it also true to say/ to assume That may well be

Isn’t it just possible Fair enough

Might it not be true That’s the correct answer, but

Surely you’d admit That’s quite true

Don’t you think Perhaps, but I don’t think that

If you ask me I’m not sure I quite agree

I’d like point out that I see what you mean, but

The point is… Come off! You can’t be serious

To my knowledge… My guess is…

1. What are the economic perspectives of the EU enlargement for Russia?

2. What are the political consequences of the EU enlargement for Russia?

3. What fields can the EU and Russia successfully cooperate in?

4. Comment on the issue of Kaliningrad region? How is it solved now?

5. What other problems are to be resolved?