Any European country which respects the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law may apply to become a member of the Union. The Treaty on European Union sets out the conditions.
Applying for EU membership is the start of the long and rigorous process. The official starting point is that a country submits an application – although this invariably arises out of an already strong bilateral relationship with the EU. The application from a country wishing to join is submitted to the Council. The European Commission provides a formal opinion on the applicant country, and the Council decides whether to accept the application. Once the Council unanimously agrees a negotiating mandate, negotiations may be formally launched between the candidate and all the member states. This is not automatic though. The applicant country must meet a core of criteria before negotiations start.
The so-called “Copenhagen criteria” set out in December 1993 by the European Council in Copenhagen, require a candidate country to have:
- stable institutions that guarantee democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and protection of minorities;
- a functioning market economy, as well as the ability to cope with the pressure of competition and the market forces at work inside the Union;
- the ability to assume the obligations of membership, in particular adherence to the objectives of political, economic and monetary union.
In addition the EU must be able to integrate new members: it needs to ensure that its institutions and decision-making processes remain effective and accountable; it needs to be in a position, as it enlarges, to continue developing and implementing common policies in all areas; and it needs to be in a position to continue its policies in a sustainable manner.
Scanning
1. Say whether the following statements are true or false:
1. The European Coal and Steel Community had the aim of bringing together control over the coal and steel industries of its member states.
2. The European Union is a cultural community of twenty two member states.
3. The European Economic Community was established by the Treaty of Lisbon.
4. The EU has increased its powers by the addition of new policy areas through the members.
5. The Treaty of Rome introduced the possibility of establishing closer cooperation in the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
6. There is no consensus among the political players about what should be done.
7. The so-called “Shengen criteria” sets out the prerequisite requirements for a country to join the EU.
8. The application from a country wishing to join the EU is submitted to the European Parliament.
9. Austria, Poland, Hungary and Norway are all the current member states of the EU.
10. Only after having accepted the application by the Council may the candidate-country formally launch negotiations with all member states.
11. Functioning market economy is deemed to be crucial for a candidate-country.
12. The EU is not eager to integrate new members.
2. Answer the following questions:
1. What are the two main principles, which the activity of the European Union is based on?
2. What circumstances urged Europe to launch an integration process?
3. What is the name of the first European organization that made the further cooperation feasible?
4. What communities were established by the Treaty of Rome?
5. How many countries does the EU include?
6. When was the SEA established?
7. When was the field for the closer cooperation in the Common Foreign and Security Policy between the members established?
8. Is the Lisbon Treaty amending the existing treaties or is regarded as an additional one?
9. Do the treaties officially confer legal personality on the Union?
10. What are the prerequisite requirements for a country to join the EU?
11. What is the first stage of applying for EU membership for any country?
12. What does the treaty on EU set out?
13. What measures must be undertaken by the EU to integrate new members?
14. What role does the European Commission play in the country’s application process?
15. What core of criteria must be met by a candidate-country before the talks are launched?
16. Which administrative body of the EU sets out the “Copenhagen criteria”?
17. Why must a candidate country provide the adherence to the objectives of political, economic and monetary union?
18. What actions represent the top policy priority for the EU in terms of the process of its enlargement?
Word Study
1. Translate the following lexical units from the text from English into Russian, prepare questions with these lexical units, based on the text:
Supranational features, intergovernmental features, extreme forms of nationalism, to devastate, to bring together control (over), to call for, to initiate a ratification process, to establish the legal framework, to confer legal personality on, accession of (a country) to (the EU), remit, implementation of joint action, a rigorous process, to agree a mandate, to meet a core of criteria, the rule of law, protection of minorities, unanimously, invariably, to submit an application, in a sustainable manner, to integrate new members, to finance policies, to assume the implications of membership, to cope with the pressure of competition, accountable, adherence to the objectives of, a functioning market economy.
2. Translate the following word-combinations from Russian into English, restore the context of their use:
установить правовые рамки, наделять правосубъектностью, Закон о единой Европе, вступление (страны) в (ЕС), Европейское объединение угля и стали, осуществлять общий контроль (над), крайние формы проявления национализма, надгосударственные черты, Европейское экономическое сообщество, опустошать, требовать, Лиссабонский договор, усиленное координирование внешней политики, Амстердамский договор, договор Ниццы, начинать процесс ратификации, Европейской сообщество по атомной энергетике, принимать обязательства членства, принимать новых членов, финансировать политику, постоянно, действующая рыночная экономика, строгое соблюдение главных целей, понятный, принять мандат, неизменно, скрупулезный процесс, подать заявление, единогласно, соответствовать сути критериев, верховенство закона.
3. Find the words and word combinations that mean approximately the same in the text, use these lexical units in the examples of your own:
1. to cause so much damage to a place or area that most of it destroyed
2. the area of authority or responsibility of an individual or a group
3. to grant
4. the process of agreeing to a demand
5. conducted between or involving two or more governments
6. to need a particular action, behaviour, quality
7. the act of taking actions or making changes that you have officially decided should happen
8. jural scope
9. beyond the authority or jurisdiction of one national government
10. the belief that your own country is better than any other country
11. to begin or originate the process of making a written agreement official by signing it
4. Fill in the gaps using the words and word combinations from the previous exercises:
1. The European Union consists of 27 member states and it is characterized by ____ and ____ features.
2. One of the reasons for forming Western European Unity was an escape from the _____ _____ ____ ____ which had ____ the continent.
3. In 1957 there were created two additional communities, the first one is ______, and the second one is ______.
4. The most urgent action the European Single Act ____ ____ was ____ ____ ____ ____ ____.
5. The ____ of new members contributed to the EU size while the addition of new policy areas to its ______ has increased its powers.
6. One of the basic provisions of the Maastricht Treaty was the establishment of the ______.
5. How do you call people who live in the following countries?
1. Austria –
2. Belgium –
3. Bulgaria –
4. Cyprus –
5. The Czech Republic –
6. Portugal –
7. The Irish Republic –
8. The UK –
9. Lithuania –
10. Spain –
11. Sweden –
12. Germany –
13. The Netherlands –
14. Slovakia –
15. Slovenia –
16. Poland –
17. Denmark –
18. Hungary –
19. Italy –
20. Latvia –
21. Greece –
22. Malta –
23. Luxemburg –
24. Romania –
25. Estonia –
26. Finland –
27. France –
Translation
Translate the following sentences into English using active vocabulary:
1. Россия поддерживает деловые связи на взаимовыгодной основе с рядом западных стран, Канадой и США.
2. Плодотворное сотрудничество между нашей страной и Великобританией в различных областях началось с установления дипломатических отношений в 1924 году.
3. За последнее время значительно расширились политические, экономические и культурные связи между Россией и странами Евросоюза.
4. Европейский союз – это экономическая организация, основанная в 1951 году.
5. Широкое сотрудничество между странами-партнерами основано на принципах равенства и взаимного уважения.
6. Россия строит свои отношения с другими странами на принципах равенства и взаимовыгодного сотрудничества.
7. Россия постоянно увеличивает свой товарооборот со странами Евросоюза.
8. Обмен в области науки и культуры способствует взаимопониманию и сотрудничеству между народами.
Speaking
Use the following words and word-combinations to make up the summary of the text (not more than 15 sentences):
1. supranational features
2. intergovernmental features
3. extreme forms of nationalism
4. to devastate
5. to bring together control (over)
6. to call for
7. intensive coordination of foreign/home policy
8. accession of … to…
9. remit
10. to establish the legal framework
11. to initiate a ratification process
12. to confer legal personality on
13. to submit an application
14. unanimously
15. to agree a mandate
16. to meet a core of criteria
17. the rule of law
18. a functioning market economy
19. to cope with the pressure of competition
20. to assume the obligations of membership
21. adherence to the objectives of
22. to integrate new members
23. accountable
24. to finance policies
25. in a sustainable manner
Talking Point
1. How do the country members benefit from the membership in the EU?
2. What countries are the possible candidates to join the EU? Do they meet the requirements of the “Copenhagen criteria”?
3. Is Russia possible to join the EU? Explain your point of view.
Part 2
The Structure and Objectives of the EU
Pronunciation
1. Note the pronunciation of the following words:
consistency
solidarity
sustainable development
frontiers
monetary
to assert
to strengthen
acquis communautaire
corpus
2. Watch the pronunciation and spelling of the words and word-combinations:
human dignity
diversity
a pillar
coherence
commissioner
to monitor
compliance
execution
agenda
court
Warm-up
Work in groups and discuss the following questions:
1. Consult the dictionary and give definitions to the following words: council,
parliament, commission.
2. Being an organization of the supranational level what peculiarities of the structure can the EU possess?
Reading
Under the Treaty on European Union (the Maastricht Treaty) the main task of the Union is “to organize, in a manner demonstrating consistency and solidarity, relations between the Member States and between their peoples.”
To achieve this, the Union has set a number of objectives:
- to promote economic and social progress, sustainable development, an area without internal frontiers and economic and monetary union;
- to assert its identity on the international scene;
- to strengthen the protection of rights through the introduction of a citizenship of the Union;
- to create an area of freedom, security and justice;
- to build on the acquis communautaire – the corpus of rules established by and in the context of the Union.
The Union is founded on the values: respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. It has its own symbols: a flag (twelve stars on a blue background), an anthem (Ludvig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”), a motto (“United in diversity”), a currency (euro) and a Europe day (9, May).
The Union is a form of legal organization consisting of three pillars:
- the first corresponding to the European Community;
- the second comprising the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP);
- the third consisting of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
It has a single institutional framework for the three pillars (essentially consisting of the European Council, the European Parliament, the Council of the Union and the European Commission). This ensures coherence and consistency in the Union’s actions across the pillars.
The European Commission consists of permanent civil service directed by commissioners. It has three primary functions: to formulate community policies, to monitor compliance with community decisions, and to oversee the execution of community law.
The Commission has shared its agenda-setting role with the European Council, which consists of the leaders of all member-countries. Established in 1974, the European Council meets at least twice a year to define a long-term agenda for European political and economic integration. The Council of the EU is the main decision-making institution of the EC and the EU. It consists of ministerial representatives. All community legislation requires the approval of the Council.
The European Parliament serves not only as a consultative body, but also it’s given joint decision-making power over community expenditures. The European Parliament is organized into transnational party groups based on political ideology – the Party of European Socialists, the European People’s Party, etc.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) interprets community law, settles conflicts between the organizations, institutions, and determines whether members have fulfilled their treaty obligations.
Scanning
1. Say whether these statements are true or false:
1. The main task of the Union is “to organize, in a manner demonstrating consistency and solidarity, relations between the Member States and between their peoples”.
2. One of the objectives of the Union is to destroy an area of freedom, security and justice.