English for European Studies Students

Alexander V. Kuzmin

The European Union

Пособие по профессиональному английскому

для студентов-регионоведов

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От автора

Предлагаемое учебное пособие нацелено на развитие навыков профессионального английского языка у студентов, изучающих международное регионоведение. Оно предназначено для студентов 1-3 курса и сфокусировано на терминологии Европейского Союза. Данное пособие открывает цикл подобного рода изданий; в следующем году планируется выпуск пособия по терминологии НАТО, а через год – терминологии ООН.

Пособие состоит из двадцати уроков. Содержательно они выстроены по историческому принципу: от создания ЕС до современного состояния и отношений между ЕС и Россией.

Формальная структура всех уроков единообразна. Ядро урока составляет текст, посвященный тому или иному аспекту ЕС (символы, соглашения, Европарламент, Еврокомиссия, внешняя и внутренняя политика и проч.). Большинство текстов заимствовано нами с официального сайта Европейского Союза europa.eu. Все тексты сопровождены вопросами на понимание содержания, а также разнообразными лексическими упражнениями. В большинстве уроков содержится текст на перевод с русского на английский язык. Выполнение этого задания крайне желательно, т.к. русский текст по своей тематике и лексике тесно связан с базовым текстом урока.

Каждый урок завершается заданием для самостоятельной работы (подготовка презентации, рассказа, материалов к семинару и др.). Это одно из ключевых заданий курса. С одной стороны, студенты расширяют свои знания о теме урока, с другой – они совершенствуют свои профессиональные компетенции: поиск и обработка информации, аналитическое мышление, презентация результатов, работа в команде, коммуникативные навыки.

Таким образом, выстраивается следующая методическая последовательность курса:

1.Введение новой информации и лексики.

2.Контроль понимания информации, изложенной в тексте.

3.Тренировка и активизация лексики.

4.Закрепление и расширение полученной информации и лексики в ходе самостоятельной работы и презентации ее результатов.

Каждый урок рассчитан на 4 академических часа аудиторной работы при условии, что чтение текста и первоначальная проработка упражнений является частью самостоятельной работы студентов, то есть выполняется дома. Общая трудоемкость курса составляет 200 часов (контактные часы + самостоятельная работа + контроль). Однако она может быть увеличена при ведении дополнительной работы с терминологией, представленной в глоссарии, и ее контроле.

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Unit 1. Symbols of the European Union

Pre-Reading Activities

1.Work in two groups and try to remember all 27 EU member states.

2.Think of the reasons for appearing such unions as the European Union.

3.What criteria do you think candidate countries for EU membership are to meet?

4.Do you think Russia will ever become a EU member? Give your reasons. If you don’t think so, can we expect Russia to become a member of another union?

5.Why do you think there is a need for official symbols?

Reading

The European Flag

The European flag is the symbol not only of the European Union but also of Europe's unity and identity in a wider sense. The circle of twelve gold stars on a blue background represents solidarity and harmony between the peoples of Europe. The number of the stars does not correspond to the number of EU Member States, the flag therefore remains unchanged regardless of EU enlargements.

The history of the flag goes back to 1955. At that time, the European Union existed only in the form of the European Coal and Steel Community, with just six Member States. But a separate body with a larger membership - the Council of Europe - had been set up several years earlier and was busy defending human rights and promoting European culture. After much discussion, the Council of Europe chose the present flag as its symbol.

Other European institutions were then encouraged to adopt the same flag and, in 1983, the European Parliament took up the call. Finally, in 1985, the flag was adopted by all EU Heads of State and government as the official emblem of the European Union - which, in those days, was called the European Communities. All European institutions have been using it since the beginning of 1986. The European flag is the only emblem of the European Commission - the EU's executive arm. Other EU institutions and bodies use an emblem of their own in addition to the European flag.

The European Anthem

The melody of the European Anthem comes from the Ninth Symphony composed in 1823 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The final movement of this symphony Beethoven set to music the "Ode to Joy" written in 1785 by Friedrich von Schiller. This poem expresses Schiller's idealistic vision of the human race becoming brothers – a vision Beethoven shared.

In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" theme as its own anthem. The well-known conductor Herbert von Karajan was asked to write three instrumental arrangements - for solo piano, for wind instruments and for symphony orchestra. In the universal language of music, this anthem expresses the ideals of freedom, peace and solidarity for which Europe stands.

In 1985 it became the official anthem of the European Union. It is not intended to replace the national anthems of the Member States but rather to celebrate the values they all share and their unity in diversity.

9 May - Europe Day

On the 9 May 1950 in Paris the first move was made towards the creation of what is now known as the European Union. On that day, against the threat of a Third World War engulfing the whole of Europe, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his proposal on the creation of an organised Europe, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations. He read to the international

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press a declaration calling European countries to pool together their coal and steel production as "the first concrete foundation of a European federation".

What he proposed was the creation of a supranational European Institution, charged with the management of the coal and steel industry, the very sector, which was, at that time, the basis of all military power. During the Milan Summit of EU leaders in 1985 it was decided to celebrate 9 May as "Europe Day".

Logo

“Unity in diversity” is the logo that represents Europe as a continent with many different traditions and languages, but also with shared values. It was first established through an unofficial process in 2000. It was selected from entries proposed by school pupils and submitted to a special website on the Internet.

The motto means that, via the EU, Europeans are united in working together for peace and prosperity, and that different cultures, traditions and languages in Europe are a positive asset for the continent. After the ratification of the Constitution

the motto will be replaced by the slightly modified "United in diversity".

Post-Reading Activities

1. Comprehension check.

a)What is the EU flag like and what does it symbolize?

b)Why is it not going to be changed?

c)Which EU institution has the EU flag as its only symbol?

d)What idea lies behind the European anthem?

e)Why is it not going to replace the national anthems of the Member States?

f)Why was there a threat of a Third World War in the 1950s?

g)What was the reason for organizing the European Coal and Steel Community?

h)What is the EU logo like and what does it symbolize?

i)Why do you think children were asked to propose the idea for the EU logo?

j)Do you think there is any difference in the mottos “Unity in diversity” and “United in diversity”?

2. Find in the text nouns with the following suffixes and explain their meaning.

3. Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with an appropriate form of the verbs from the list.

1.It was Robert Schuman who ______________ the idea of organized Europe.

2.The Council of Europe _______________ to defend human rights and ____________

European culture.

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3.The EU flag ____________ solidarity and harmony between the peoples of Europe.

4.The EU flag ____________ as the official emblem of the European Union in 1985.

5.The idea of the logo for the EU _____________ to the special site on the Internet by some school pupils who ________________ to take part in the contest.

6.In the 1950s the threat of a Third World War ______________ the whole Europe.

7.It is necessary for all European nations to ______________ friendly and efficient relations with each other.

4. Match phrasal verbs with particle up with their meanings.

5. Translate.

1.У новых членов Евросоюза дела потихоньку идут на поправку.

2.Лидеры Евросоюза должны сделать все возможное, чтобы укрепить экономику стран Восточной Европы.

3.Переговоры по поставке оружия возобновятся на следующей неделе.

4.Совет Европы был основан с целью защиты прав человека и развития и распространения европейской культуры.

5.В 1983 году Европарламент рассмотрел вопрос о принятии официального флага Евросоюза.

Task

Group A

You represent some new EU member states. You decided to approach the EU Parliament with the idea of adding more stars to the EU flag – according to the number of the EU members.

Group B

You are a committee of the EU parliament charged with the problems of the EU symbolic. Some new member states approached the EU Parliament with the idea of adding more stars to the EU flag – according to the number of the EU members. Respond to this suggestion. Keep in mind such factors as traditions, history of national symbols, financial expenses, etc.

Unit 2. Why the European Union?

Pre-Reading Activities

In groups or individually prepare a talk about one of the following European statesmen: Konrad Adenauer, Winston Churchill, Alcide de Gasperi and Robert Schuman.

Reading

Read the text and fill in the gaps with the missing sentences or passages.

ANo individual EU country is strong enough to go it alone in world trade. To achieve economies of scale and to find new customers, European businesses need to operate in a bigger market

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than just their home country.

BThere would be a new order in Western Europe, based on the interests its peoples and nations share together, and it would be founded upon treaties guaranteeing the rule of law and equality between all countries.

COne of Europe’s new challenges is to make the EU an area of freedom, security and justice where everyone is equally protected by the law.

DIt takes a clear position on sensitive issues that concern ordinary people – issues such as the environment, renewable energy resources, the ‘precautionary principle’ in food safety, the ethical aspects of biotechnology and the need to protect endangered species.

EThese things can never be taken for granted. Every new step in world development brings with it not only opportunities but also risks.

Peace

The idea of a united Europe was once just a dream in the minds of philosophers and visionaries. Victor Hugo, for example, imagined a peaceful ‘United States of Europe’ inspired by humanistic ideals. The dream was shattered by two terrible wars that ravaged the continent during the first half of the 20th century.

But from the rubble of World War II emerged a new kind of hope. People who had resisted totalitarianism during the war were determined to put an end to international hatred and rivalry in Europe and to build a lasting peace between former enemies. Between 1945 and 1950, a handful of courageous statesmen including Konrad Adenauer, Winston Churchill, Alcide de Gasperi and Robert Schuman set about persuading their peoples to enter a new era. 1__________________

Safety and security

Europe in the 21st century still has to deal with issues of safety and security. 2__________________ The EU has to take effective action to ensure the safety and security of its 25 member states. It has to work constructively with the regions just beyond its borders – North Africa, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East. But the EU must also protect its military and strategic interests by working with its allies – especially its NATO allies – and by developing a genuine European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

Internal and external security are two sides of the same coin. In other words, the EU also has to fight terrorism and organised crime – and that means the police forces of all EU countries have to work closely together. 3_____________________

Economic and social solidarity

The European Union has been built to achieve political goals, but its dynamism and success spring from its economic foundations – the ‘single market’ formed by all the EU member states, and the single currency (the euro) used by 12 of them.

The EU countries account for an ever smaller percentage of the world’s population. They must therefore continue pulling together if they are to ensure economic growth and be able to compete on the world stage with other major economies. 4_________________ That is why the EU has worked so hard to open up the single European market – removing the old obstacles to trade and cutting away the red tape that entangles economic operators.

But Europe-wide free competition must be counterbalanced by Europe-wide solidarity, expressed in practical help for ordinary people. When European citizens become the victims of floods and other natural disasters, they receive assistance from the EU budget. Both the EU budget and money raised by the European Investment Bank are used to improve Europe’s transport infrastructure (for example, to extend the network of motorways and high-speed railways), thus providing better access to outlying regions and boosting trans-European trade.

Working more closely together to promote the European model of society Europe’s postindustrial societies are becoming increasingly complex. Standards of living have risen steadily, but there are still gaps between rich and poor and they may widen as new members join the EU. That is

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why it is important for EU member states to work more closely together on tackling social problems.

The EU as a unit has much more economic, social, technological, commercial and political ‘clout’ than the individual efforts of its member states, even when taken together. There is added value in acting as one and speaking with a single voice as the European Union.

The EU is the world’s leading trading power and thus plays a key role in international negotiations. It brings all its trading and agricultural strength to bear within the World Trade Organisation, and in implementing the Kyoto Protocol on action to reduce air pollution and prevent climate change. It launched important initiatives at the August 2002 Johannesburg Summit on sustainable development. 5_______________________

The EU stands for a view of humanity and a model of society that the vast majority of its citizens support. Europeans cherish their rich heritage of values that includes a belief in human rights, social solidarity, free enterprise, a fair sharing of the fruits of economic growth, the right to a protected environment, respect for cultural, linguistic and religious diversity and a harmonious yoking of tradition and progress.

Post-Reading Activities

1. Comprehension check.

1.What sort of totalitarianism did European people suffer during World War II?

2.Why are Konrad Adenauer, Winston Churchill, Alcide de Gasperi and Robert Schuman called courageous?

3.What security problems does the EU have to tackle?

4.What is the economic foundation of the EU?

5.What does ‘single market’ mean?

6.Why is ‘single market’ so important for the EU?

7.How does the Europe-wide solidarity work in practice?

8.What social problems do you think the EU has to deal with?

2. Decode and explain the abbreviations below:

NATO WTO ESDP

3. Complete the phrases from the text and use them in the sentences of your own.

5. Fill in the gaps with an appropriate word derived from the stem in brackets.

Sustainable development is a process of developing land, cities, business, 1______________

(commune), and so on that meets the needs of the present without compromising the 2___________

(able) of future 3____________ (gene) to meet their own needs. One of the factors which it must overcome is environmental 4___________ (grade), but it must do so without 5__________ (go) the

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needs of 6___________ (economy) development, social 7____________ (equal) and 8_________

(just). So, the pillars of sustainable devepment are economic development, social development, and environmental 9_____________ (protect).

For some, the issue is considered to be closely tied to economic 10_________ (grow) and the need to find ways to expand the economy in the long term without using up natural capital for current growth at the cost of long term growth. For others, the concept of growth itself is

11____________ (problem), as the 12___________ (source) of the Earth are finite. The 2005 UK Sustainable Development Strategy has the 13___________ (object) of 14___________ (able) all people 15 __________ (through) the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations.

6. Match the phrasal verbs below with their equivalents or meanings.

7. Translate using the phrasal verbs from above.

1.В экономике и промышленности новых членов Евросоюза придется произвести колоссальные изменения.

2.Поползли слухи о тайных планах правительства.

3.Парламент приступит к обсуждению бюджета на следующей неделе.

4.Говорят, инфляция в следующем году снизится на два процента.

5.Мир настанет только тогда, когда обе стороны пойдут на уступки.

Task

Group A

You are the members of the Defence Committee of the EU Parliament. Think of the possible ways of protecting the citizens of the EU.

Group B

You are the members of the Trade Committee of the EU parliament. Work out your target partners outside the EU.

Group C

You are the members of the Home Affairs Committee of the EU Parliament. Work out different ways how to make cooperation within the EU more effective.

Unit 3. Historical Bases Of European Integration: First

Treaties

Reading

Legal basis

The Treaty of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), or Treaty of Paris, was signed on 18 April 1951 and came into force on 25 July 1952. For the first time, a group of states agreed to work towards integration. The Treaty made it possible to lay the foundations of the

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Community by setting up a 'High Authority', a Parliamentary Assembly, a Council of Ministers, a Court of Justice and a Consultative Committee.

The Treaties of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC, otherwise known as 'Euratom'), or the Treaties of Rome, were signed on 25 March 1957 and came into force on 1 January 1958. Although the EAEC Treaty was concluded for 50 years, the Treaties of Rome were concluded 'for an unlimited period'.

The six founding countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Objectives

The avowed intentions of the founders of the ECSC were that it should be merely a first stage towards a 'European Federation'. The common market in coal and steel was to be an experiment that could gradually be extended to other economic spheres, culminating in a 'political' Europe.

The aim of the European Economic Community was to establish a common market based on the four freedoms of movement of goods, persons, capital and services and the gradual convergence of economic policies.

The aim of Euratom was to coordinate the research programmes on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, already under way or being prepared in the Member States.

The EEC treaty takes the lead

The European Communities (the ECSC, EEC and Euratom) were born of a gradual process of thinking about Europe, an idea that was closely bound up with the events that had shattered the continent. In the wake of the Second World War the major industries, in particular the steel industry, needed reorganising. The future of Europe, threatened by East-West confrontation, lay in Franco-German reconciliation.

At that time, the choice of coal and steel was highly symbolic: in the early 1950s coal and steel were still seen as vital industries, the basis of a country's power. In addition to the clear economic benefits to be gained, the pooling of French and German resources was to mark the end of antagonism between the two countries. On 9 May 1950 Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister, declared: 'Europe will not be built in a day nor as part of some overall design; it will be built through practical achievements that first create a sense of common purpose'. The appeal may be considered as the starting point for the Community. It became the basis of the Treaty of Paris signed by France, Italy, Germany and the Benelux countries. Its main points were:

the free movement of products and free access to sources of production;

permanent monitoring of the market to avoid distortions which could lead to the introduction of production quotas;

respect for the rules of competition and price transparency;

support for modernisation and conversion of the coal and steel sectors.

The further step to get the process of European integration under way was made at the Messina Conference in June 1955 on a customs union and atomic energy. They culminated in the signing of the EEC and EAEC Treaties.

The EEC Treaty’s provisions included:

the elimination of customs duties between Member States;

the establishment of an external Common Customs Tariff;

the introduction of a common policy for agriculture and transport;

the creation of a European Social Fund;

establishment of a European Investment Bank;

the development of closer relations between the Member States.

The common market was to allow the free movement of goods and the mobility of factors of production (free movement of workers and enterprises, the freedom to provide services and the free movement of capital).

The Euratom Treaty laid down highly ambitious objectives, including the ‘speedy establishment and growth of nuclear industries'. However, owing to the complex and delicate nature of the nuclear sector, which touched on the vital interests of the Member States (defence and national independence), the Euratom Treaty had to scale down its ambitions.

From that time onwards, the EEC became more prominent than the ECSC and the EAEC (the sectoral Communities). It represented a triumph for the general purpose and institutions of the EEC over the two coexisting sectoral organisations.

Comprehension Check

1. What do the dates below refer to?

9 May 1950, 18 April 1951, 25 July 1952, June 1955, 25 March 1957, 1 January 1958

2.Decode the abbreviations: EEC, ECSC, EAEC.

3.What were the aims of EEC, ECSC, and EAEC when planning organized Europe?

4.What were the main points of the Treaty of Paris?

5.What were the main points of the EEC Treaty?

6.Why did the Euratom Treaty need correcting?

7.Draw a scheme of the first steps of the EU. Be ready to give necessary explanations.

Vocabulary Practice

1. Give English equivalents to the words and phrases from the text:

2.Make up some sentences of your own with the words and phrases from

above.

3.Explain the concepts below:

4. Fill in the gaps with ONE word only.

Treaties

The establishment of the first "Community", the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was the starting _________ for over fifty years of European treaty-making. From 1951 (ECSC Treaty) to 2001(Treaty of Nice), no _________ than sixteen treaties were signed. This series of treaties did _________ more than simply amend the original text: new treaties were born and gradually extended the family.

All these treaties have been amended ________ a number of occasions, in particular

________ the time of accession of new Member States in 1973 (Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom), in 1981 (Greece), in 1986 (Spain and Portugal), in 1995 (Austria, Finland and Sweden), in 2004 (______ Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia), and in 2007 (Bulgaria and Romania).

The European constitutional treaty, signed ________ October 2004, will repeal and replace

________ a single instrument all the existing treaties with the exception of the Euratom Treaty. This instrument will consolidate 50 years of European treaties. The Constitution, however, will not come into _______ until it has been ratified by ______ 27 Member States.

5. Open the brackets and use an appropriate word derived from the stem in brackets.

Transparency

The term "transparency" is __________ (frequent) used to mean ________ (open) in the working of the Community institutions. It is linked to a _________ (vary) of demands for broader public access to information and EU documents, greater ________ (involve) in the decision-making process and more easily __________ (read) texts ( ________ (simple) of the Treaties, consolidation and better drafting of _________ (legal)).

Complaints regarding a lack of transparency tend to reflect a general feeling that the European institutions are remote and secretive and that decision-making procedures are difficult for the ordinary European citizen to understand.

The Treaty of Amsterdam has inserted a new Article 255 on transparency in the EC Treaty. This gives all ________ (city) of the Union, plus all natural or legal persons residing or having their registered offices in a Member State, the right of access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents.

There are only two _______ (except): cases in which access is automatically refused (for reasons of public security, defence, _________ (nation) relations) and cases in which access is refused except where there is an overriding public interest in disclosure ( ________ (protect) of commercial interests of a natural or legal person, for example).

6. Match the phrasal verbs below with their meaning.

7. Translate.

a)Правительство внесло на рассмотрение Парламента многочисленные поправки к законопроекту.

b)В конечном счете, все сводится к проблеме нехватки денег.

c)Затраты на гуманитарную помощь слаборазвитым странам пришлось сократить.

d)Правительству давно пора приняться за решение социальных проблем.

e)Угольная промышленность в кризисе.

Task

Group A

Prepare a presentation on the ECSC Treaty.

Some information can be found at

http://www.unizar.es/euroconstitucion/Treaties/Treaty_Paris.htm

http://europa.eu/scadplus/treaties/ecsc_en.htm

Group B

Prepare a presentation on the EEC Treaty.

Some information can be found at

http://europa.eu/scadplus/treaties/eec_en.htm

www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Depts/MOPS/EU/treaties.shtml

Unit 4. Further Historic Steps

Reading

So successful was the union of the six countries (France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) that Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom decided to join the Communities. This first enlargement, from six to nine members, took place in 1973. At the same time, the Communities took on new tasks and introduced new social, regional and environmental policies. To implement the regional policy, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was set up in 1975.

In the early 1970s, Community leaders realised that they had to bring their economies into line with one another and that, in the end, what was needed was monetary union. At about the same time, however, the United States decided to suspend the dollar's convertibility into gold. This ushered in a period of great instability on the world's money markets, made worse by the oil crises of 1973 and 1979. The introduction of the European Monetary System (EMS) in 1979 helped stabilise exchange rates and encouraged the Community member states to implement strict policies that allowed them to maintain their mutual solidarity and to discipline their economies.

In 1981 Greece joined the Communities, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986. This made it all the more urgent to introduce structural programmes such as the first Integrated Mediterranean Programmes (IMP), aimed at reducing the economic development gap between the 12 member states.

A worldwide economic recession in the early 1980s brought with it a wave of europessimism. But hope sprang anew in 1985 when the European Commission, under its President Jacques Delors, published a 'white paper' setting out a timetable for completing the European single market by 1 January 1993. The Communities adopted this ambitious goal and enshrined it in the Single European Act, which was signed in February 1986 and came into force on 1 July 1987.

The political shape of Europe was dramatically changed by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. This led to the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990 and the coming of democracy to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe as they broke away from Soviet control. The Soviet Union itself ceased to exist in December 1991

Meanwhile, the European Communities were changing too. The member states were negotiating a new treaty that was adopted by the European Council (i.e. their presidents and/or prime ministers) at Maastricht in December 1991. This Treaty on European Union came into force on 1 November 1993. The EEC was renamed simply the European Community (EC). Moreover, by adding areas of intergovernmental cooperation to the existing Community system, the Treaty created the European Union (EU). It also set new ambitious goals for the member states: monetary union by 1999, European citizenship, new common policies - including a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) - and arrangements for internal security.

The new European dynamism and the continent's changing geopolitics led three more countries – Austria, Finland and Sweden – to join the EU on 1 January 1995. The Union now had 15 member states and was on course for its most spectacular achievement yetreplacing its national currencies with a single European currency, the euro. On 1 January 2002, euro notes and coins came into circulation in 12 EU countries (the euro area). The euro is now a major world currency, having a similar status to the US dollar.

Scarcely had the European Union grown to encompass 15 member states when another 12 began knocking at its door. In the mid-1990s, it received membership applications from the former Soviet bloc countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia), the three Baltic states that had once been part of the Soviet Union (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), one of the republics of the former Yugoslavia (Slovenia) and two Mediterranean countries (Cyprus and Malta).

The EU welcomed this opportunity to help stabilise the European continent and to extend the benefits of European unification to these young democracies. Accession negotiations with the candidate countries were launched in Luxembourg in December 1997 and in Helsinki in December 1999. The Union was on the way to its biggest enlargement ever. For 10 of the candidate countries, negotiations were completed on 13 December 2002 in Copenhagen and they joined the EU in May 2004. The Union now has 25 member states, and will continue growing as more countries join in the years ahead.

More than half a century of integration has had an enormous impact on the history of Europe and on the mentality of Europeans. The member state governments, whatever their political colour, know that the age of absolute national sovereignty is over and that only by joining forces and pursuing "a destiny henceforward shared" (to quote the ECSC Treaty) can their ancient nations continue to make economic and social progress and maintain. their influence in the world.

Comprehension check

1.What events do the following dates from the text refer to?

1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, February 1986, 1 July 1987, 1989, 3 October 1990, December 1991, 1 January 1993, 1 November 1993, 1 January 1995, December 1999, December 1999, 1 January 2002, 13 December 2002, May 2004.

2.What happened in the world economy in the 1970s and how did it affect the EU?

3.Who was Jacque Delors and what role did he play in the history of the EU?

4.What did the fall of the Berlin Wall become a starting point for?

5.What do you think is the secret of the European dynamism?

Vocabulary Practice

1. Find in the text English equivalents for the following:

2.Make up some sentences of your own with the words from above.

3.Find in the text words with the following prefixes and explain their meaning.

4. Multiple choice.

Green and White Papers

In modern British terminology, a White Paper is a statement of government 1__________. It is called "white paper" because originally these were thin documents quickly bound in white paper without a formal cover, as 2__________ to the blue bindings of most government reports.

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In the Commonwealth of Nations, "white paper" is an informal name for a parliamentary paper; in the United Kingdom these are issued as "Command papers". White papers are issued by the government and lay 3__________ policy, or proposed action, on a topic of 4__________

concern. Although a white paper may occasion consultation as to the details of new legislation, it does signify a clear intention 5___________ the part of a government to pass new law.

6__________ contrast, "green papers", also known as consultation documents, which are issued much more frequently, are more open-ended and may merely propose a strategy to be 7 __________ in the details of other legislation or set 8 ___________ proposals on which the Government wishes to obtain public views and opinion. They are released to stimulate 9 ______

and launch a process of consultation on a particular topic and can sometimes be followed by white papers. A green paper usually presents a 10___________ of ideas and is meant to invite interested individuals or organizations to contribute views and information.

6. Translate.

a)Планы комитета изложены в докладе.

b)Лейбористы были уверены, что смогут победить консерваторов.

c)Современные политики в своих речах стараются обращаться к простым людям.

d)Даже при условии конкуренции на едином европейском рынке нельзя допустить, чтобы крупные компании вытеснили средний и малый бизнес.

e)Срок действия соглашения по Евратому истек в 2002 году.

Task

Work in pairs and prepare a short talk on the main points of the following European Treaties:

The Single European Act The Maastricht Treaty The Amsterdam Treaty The Treaty of Nice

Unit 5. Enlargement

Reading

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Copenhagen – a historic summit

In Copenhagen on 13 December 2002, the European Council took one of the most momentous steps in the entire history of European unification. It decided to welcome 10 more countries to join the EU on 1 May 2004.

In taking this decision, the European Union was putting an end to the split in the continent – the rift that, from 1945 onwards, separated the free world from the Communist world. So this fifth enlargement of the EU has a political and moral dimension.

Not only geographically but also in terms of their culture, their history and their aspirations, the countries concerned – Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania – are decidedly European. The accession treaties, signed in Athens on 16 April 2003, allowed the people of the new member states to vote and to stand for election, on the same terms as all other EU citizens, in the European parliamentary elections in June 2004.

The long road to EU membership

The road to this particular enlargement starts in 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. The EU moved swiftly to set up the ‘Phare’ programme of financial assistance, designed to help the young democracies rebuild their economies and to encourage political reform.

At the same time, the European Council laid down three major criteria that candidate countries must meet before they can join the EU.

First, a political criterion: candidate countries must have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities.

Second, an economic criterion: candidate countries must have a functioning market economy and be able to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.

Third, the criterion of being able to take on the obligations of EU membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union. This means candidate countries must adopt the entire body of EU law – known as the acquis communautaire.

The Commission made recommendations and Parliament gave its opinions. On this basis, the European Council in Luxembourg (December 1997) and Helsinki (December 1999) gave the goahead for negotiations with 10 central and eastern European countries plus Cyprus and Malta.

The treaties of Amsterdam (signed on 2 October 1997) and Nice (signed on 26 February 2001) were designed to consolidate the Union and streamline its decision-making system before enlargement.

Negotiations with 10 of the candidate countries were completed in Copenhagen on 13 December 2002. The agreements reached gave these new member states the mechanisms and transitional periods they needed in order to meet all their obligations. Before accession, each of them had to pass its own national laws incorporating the whole acquis communautaire – which amounts to 26 000 pieces of legislation and runs to around 80 000 pages. This legislation must also be applied in practice.

The European Union was concerned to ensure that enlargement on this scale would not turn it into a mere free trade area, and that this continent-wide family of nations could work together efficiently and effectively. That is why it set up a Convention, chaired by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, to discuss Europe’s future and to draft a Constitution for the new EU of 25 countries. The Convention completed this task in June 2003 and – on 20 June, in Thessaloniki – the European Council announced that it considered the draft constitutional treaty a good basis for starting the next intergovernmental conference.

The final text of the Constitution was agreed by the European Council in 2004.

How large can the EU become?

The fifth enlargement of the EU finished with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. The European Council also decided in 2004 to move ahead with the procedures related to possible membership of Croatia and Turkey.

Already in 1999 the Helsinki European Council had decided that “Turkey is a candidate State destined to join the Union on the basis of the same criteria as applied to the other candidate States.” Turkey is a member of NATO and the Council of Europe. It has had an association agreement with the EU since 1964 and has been an applicant for EU membership since 1987.

But Turkey lies on the very edge of the European continent, and the prospect of its joining the EU raises questions about where to draw the ultimate boundaries of the European Union. Can any country anywhere apply for EU membership and start negotiations provided it meets the political and economic criteria laid down in Copenhagen? Certainly, the countries of the western Balkans such as Albania, Bosnia and Herzogovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro could apply once they have achieved political stability and meet the Copenhagen criteria.

If these negotiations are a success, could the same strategy be applied to the EU’s relations with countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean? Questions like this open up the whole debate about what it means to be European, what is the ultimate purpose of European integration and what are the EU’s interests in the world at large.

Comprehension Check

1.The accession of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania was the fifth enlargement, what were the previous four?

2.What three major criteria are the candidate countries to meet before they can join the EU?

3.What do all candidate countries have to do before the accession to the EU?

4.What does it mean to be European an in your opinion?

Vocabulary Activities

1. Match two parts to make collocations or compound nouns.

2.Make up some sentences of your own with the collocations and compound nouns from above.

3.Fill in the table with the appropriate event from the list.

THE MAIN STAGES OF THE EU’S FIFTH ENLARGEMENT

a)Bulgaria and Romania become EU members.

b)The 10 accession treaties are signed in Athens.

c)The 10 new member states join the EU.

d)The Copenhagen European Council lays down the criteria for joining the European Union.

e)The EU reaches agreement with 10 candidate countries that they can join on 1 May 2004.

f)The EU sets up a programme known as Phare, for providing financial and technical assistance to the countries of central and eastern Europe.

g)The Helsinki European Council confirms that accession talks will be held with 12 candidate countries. Turkey is considered to be a candidate country “destined to join the Union”.

h)The Luxembourg European Council decides to launch the enlargement process.

4. Match phrasal verbs to their equivalents or definitions.

5. Translate.

a)Расширение Евросоюза не должно превратиться исключительно в создание зоны свободной торговли.

b)Государственный внешний долг выражается восьмизначной цифрой.

c)Болгария и Румыния вступили в Евросоюз в январе 2007 года.

d)Перед тем как принять нового члена в состав Евросоюза Европейский Совет тщательно изучает положение дел в стране, подавшей заявку на вступление.

e)Все больше европейских стран оказываются вовлечены в процесс расширения Евросоюза.

Group Work

ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE

The French term acquis (or sometimes acquis communautaire) is used in European Union law to refer to the total body of EU law accumulated so far. The term is also used to describe laws adopted under the Schengen treaty, prior to its integration into the European Union legal order by the Treaty of Amsterdam, in which case one speaks of the Schengen acquis.

During the process of the enlargement of the European Union, the acquis was divided into 31 chapters for the purpose of negotiation between the EU and the candidate member states for the fifth enlargement (the ten that joined in 2004 plus Romania and Bulgaria).

For the negotiations with Croatia and Turkey, the acquis was split up into 35 chapters instead, with the purpose of better balancing between the chapters: dividing the most difficult ones into separate chapters for easier negotiation, uniting some easier chapters, moving some policies between chapters, as well as renaming a few of them in the process.

Task

Compare the two versions of the acquis and make some conclusions.

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Surf the Net and prepare a talk on one of the articles from the acquis.

Unit 6. The European Parliament: Introduction

Pre-Reading Activities

Work in two groups and ask each other questions about the missing information.

Group A

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History

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) established 1_________ in September 1952, its 78 members drawn from 2__________ of the ECSC's constituent nations. This was expanded in March 1958 to also cover the European Economic Community and Euratom, and the name European Parliamentary Assembly was adopted. The body was renamed to the European Parliament in 3_________. In 1979 the parliament's membership was expanded again and its members began to be directly elected for the first time. Thereafter the membership of the European Parliament has simply expanded whenever new nations have joined; the membership was adjusted upwards in 1994 after German reunification. Recent treaties, including the Treaty of Nice and the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, set a cap on membership at 4__________.

Locations

The parliament has two chambers – one in Brussels, the other in Strasbourg – and a secretariat in 5___________.

For three weeks of the month the parliament operates in Brussels, where 6___________ take place, then for four days it decamps to Strasbourg in order to take its final, plenary votes.

This perpetual movement adds to the costs of running the parliament, which are estimated at 7__________, and is unpopular with members of the European Parliament (MEPs), because of the extra travel involved.

However, the Strasbourg parliament is a matter of national prestige for France. Situated on the border between 8_____________, which fought two world wars in the last century, it is also a symbol of Europe's peaceful new order.

Group B

History

The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) established a 'Common Assembly' in a)__________, its 78 members drawn from the six national Parliaments of the ECSC's constituent nations. This was expanded in March 1958 to also cover the European Economic Community and Euratom, and the name b)____________ was adopted. The body was renamed to the European Parliament in 1962. In 1979 the parliament's membership was expanded again and its members began to be directly elected for the first time. Thereafter the membership of the European Parliament has simply expanded whenever c)_____________; the membership was adjusted upwards in 1994 after German reunification. Recent treaties, including the Treaty of Nice and the proposed Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, set a cap on membership at 750.

Locations

The parliament has two chambers – one in d) __________, the other in ___________ – and a secretariat in Luxembourg.

For e)__________ weeks of the month the parliament operates in Brussels, where preparatory legislative work and committee meetings take place, then for four days it decamps to Strasbourg in order to f)__________.

This perpetual movement adds to the costs of running the parliament, which are estimated at € 200 million a year, and is unpopular with members of the European Parliament (MEPs), because of g)___________.

However, the Strasbourg parliament is a matter of national prestige for France. Situated on the border between Germany and France, which fought two world wars in the last century, it is also a symbol of h)___________.

Reading

The European Parliament

Parliament's powers

The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union, directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. Together with the Council of Ministers, it composes the legislative branch of the institutions of the Union.

European Parliament has restricted legislative power. It cannot initiate legislation, but it can amend, approve or veto it in many policy areas including consumer protection, the single market, workers' rights, asylum and immigration, the environment and animal welfare, but not foreign policy or agriculture. The parliament also shares authority over the EU budget with the Council of Ministers and supervises other EU institutions, including the Commission. It vets new commissioners, and can sack the commission en masse. It also has the right to control the EU budget.

Party groups

The political parties in the European Parliament are organised into a number of political groups. None has an overall majority, so amendments need the support of more than one group to get through. On most issues the parliament divides along classic left-right lines. At the start of Parliament's sixth term in 2004 there were seven groups, as well as a number of non-aligned members, known as non-inscrits. But after Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, there appeared one more group called Integrity, Tradition, Sovereignty (ITS).

A group must have at least 19 members, from at least five member states. The larger the group, the more funding it receives, the more key committee posts it gets and the longer it can speak in debates.

Since 2007 (after Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU) the composition of the European Parliament is:

The Composition

The European Parliament represents around 450 million citizens of the European Union. Its members are known as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Since 13 June 2004, there have been 732 MEPs. (It was agreed that the maximum number of MEPs should be fixed at 750,