B. Understanding details

UNIT 5

THE EUROPEAN UNION

BEFORE YOU READ

Answer these questions

1. Do you know what events convinced a number of European leaders to unite their countries economically and politically?

2. What countries were members of the European Coal and Steel Community? When was the ECSC set up?

READING TASKS

A. Understanding main points

Read the text below about the European Union enlargement and answer these questions, beginning your answers with the fol­lowing phrases: as a rule …; to tell the truth …; as far as I know …; the matter is that …; as far as I remember …; as far as I am concerned …; frankly/strictly speak­ing …; to make a long story short ….

1. What was the focus on in the early days of the ECSC existence?

2. Do you think that the ECSC was a success? What facts prove it?

3. What document was signed in 1957? How many countries signed it?

4. What countries joined the EEC and when?

5. Did it take much time for the Member States to remove all the barriers to trade between them and to turn their "common market" into a genuine single market?

6. What system is the European Union built on?

7. What are the cornerstones of the European Union structure?

8. What does economic and political integration between the European Union member states mean?

9. In what fields have the member states of the European Union developed common policies? What other policies were added as time went by?

10. Do you agree that the European Union's relations with the rest of the world have become important? Why?

B. Understanding details

Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text. Give your reason using the fol­lowing phrases: as a matter of fact...; I don't think so …; I'm of the same opinion …; in my opinion …; on the contrary …; strictly speaking...; to my mind....

1. The EEC has grown in size with successive waves of accessions.

2. Member States failed to remove all the barriers to trade between them and to turn their "common market" into a genuine single market.

3. The Treaty of Rome laid down new rules governing the size of the EU institutions and the way they work.

4. The European Union is built on an institutional system which is very popular in the world.

5. The Member States delegate sovereignty for certain matters to dependent institutions which represent the interests of the Union.

6. In 1971 the institutions of the five European communities were merged.

7. The Commission traditionally upholds the interests of European countries both members and not members of the Union.

8. In the light of changing circumstances some key policy aims have never changed.

9. The need for disarmament is now taken into account across the whole range of EU policies.

10. The European Union's relations with the rest of the world have also become important.

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