Fill in the prepositions, then make sentences using the completed phrases

for, by, of, to, at, on

1) common rules ….. trade, 2) let’s look ….. some of the organizations, 3) are responsible …. their national parliaments, 4) ideas are accepted …. a majority vote, 5) consists of, 6) for example.

 

3. Arrange the sentences from the text "European community" in their logical order.

1. This organization had six members — France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

2. The majority of MEP’s job consists of research, meetings and committee work.

3. The Commission’s headquarters are in Brussels and it employs over 1,500 people.

4. Two new superpowers, America and the Soviet Union, now dominated international affairs.

5. This organization consists of government ministers from all member countries who meet regularly to talk about Community business.

6. Today’s Community (it’s usually called the EC now, not the EEC) works hard to promote European business, industry and free trade.

7. It’s during summits that the EC’s biggest decisions are taken.

8. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are directly elected every five years by voters in their own countries.

 

Read the text again and take notes under these headings. Then, look at your notes and talk about the European Community.

· Goals of EC

· Members

· The European Commission

· The European Parliament

· The Council of Ministers

· Euro-Summits

 

Text 3

Lead-in

Check the transcription in the dictionary and read the words listed below.

2. Answer the questions:

1) What have you heard about the EU?

2) What member states of the EU do you know?

 

3. Read the text and say what the words in bold mean:

European Union

 

The European Union or the EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. The European Union was established under that name in 1992 by the Treaty on European Union, the Maastricht Treaty. However, many aspects of the Union existed before that date through a series of predecessor relationships, dating back to 1951.

The European Union's activities cover all areas of public policy, from health and economic policy to foreign affairs and defense. However, the extent of its powers differs greatly between areas. Depending on the area, the EU may therefore resemble a federation, for example, on monetary affairs, agricultural, trade and environmental policy or a confederation, for example, on social and economic policy, consumer protection, home affairs, or even an international organization, for example, in foreign affairs.

A key activity of the EU is the establishment and administration of a common single market, consisting of a customs union, a single currency adopted by 12 of the 25 member states, a Common Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy, and a Common Fisheries Policy.

The most important EU institutions are the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice.

As to the enlargement of the EU there were five successive enlargements, with the largest occurring on May 1,2004, when 10 new member states joined.

Notwithstanding Greenland doesn't enter the EU because it was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979 and left the European Community in 1985, following a referendum.

Romania and Bulgaria will join the EU on 1 January 2007, so European Union will have 27 member states but if Croatia enter the EU by the year 2008 it will have 28 member-states. In time the European Union may grow to 30 member states. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration.

In order to join the European Union, a state needs to fulfill the economic and political conditions generally known as the Copenhagen criteria, after the Copenhagen summit in June 1993. Also, according to the EU Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament have to agree.

The European Union has 25 member states, an area of 3,892,685 km2 and approximately 460 million EU citizens as of December 2004. If it were a country, it would be the seventh largest in the world by area and the third largest by population after China and India.

The European Union has land borders with 20 nations and sea borders with 31.

 

Tasks:

1. Answer the questions:

 

1. What is the European Union?

2. When was the European Union established?

3. What were the purposes of the European Union creation?

4. What countries joined the European Union in 2004?

5. Do you want Ukraine to join the European Union?

6. What was the largest enlargement of the EU?

7. How many enlargements were there?

8. When does Romania and Bulgaria join the EU?

9. How many member states were in the European Union in the very beginning?

10. How many member states are there in the European Union nowadays?

11. How many member states will be in the European Union in 2007?

12. Will Ukraine join the EU in 2007?

13. Is the EU a federation or confederation?

14. What should a state do in order to join the EU?

15. Does Greenland enter the EU?

16. What is the area of the European Union?

17. What is the population of the EU?

Text 4

Lead-in

1.

2. Answer the questions:

1) What have you heard about the OSCE?

2) What is the main goal of the OSCE?

 

3. Read the text and say what the words in bold mean:

OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

 

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. In its region it is concerned with early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation. It has 55 participating states from Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Central Asia and North America.

The decision making bodies of the organization are the Summit, Ministerial Council and Senior Council, with the Permanent Council, under the leadership of the Chairman-in-Office, who holds the position for one year. For 2005, it was the Slovenian Foreign Minister.

The OSCE headquarters are located in Vienna, Austria. The Organization also has offices in Copenhagen, Geneva, the Hague, Prague and Warsaw.

The OSCE employs close to 440 persons in its various Institutions. In the field, the Organization has about 750 international and 2,370 local staff.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, is the oldest OSCE institution, established in 1990. It is based in Warsaw, Poland, and is active throughout the OSCE area in the fields of election observation, democratic development, human rights, tolerance and non-discrimination, and rule of law.

The organization was established in 1973 as the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). Talks had been mooted about a European security grouping since the 1950s but the Cold War prevented any substantial progress until the talks in Helsinki began in November Д972. These talks were held at the suggestion of the Soviet Union which wished to use the talks to maintain its control over the communist countries in Eastern Europe. Western Europe, however, saw these talks as a way to reduce the tension in the region, furthering economic cooperation and obtaining humanitarian improvements for the populations of the Communist Bloc.

The CSCE opened in Helsinki on July 3, 1973 with 35 states sending representatives.

The collapse of Communism required a change of role for the CSCE. The Paris Charter for a New Europe which was signed on November 21, 1990 marked the beginning of this change. With the changes capped by the re-naming of the CSCE to the OSCE on January 1,1995, accordingly to the results of the conference held in Budapest, in 1994.

Ukraine was admitted to the organization on January 30, 1992. On February, 261992 Ukraine signed the Helsinki Final Act and on June, 16 of the same year the Charter of Paris was signed. So, Ukraine became the state-member of the OSCE.

 

Tasks:

1. Answer the questions:

1. What is the OSCE?

2. When was the OSCE established?

3. What were the purposes of the OSCE creation?

4. How many member states are there in the OSCE?

5. When was Ukraine admitted to the organization?

 

Text 5

Lead-in

1.

2. Answer the questions:

1) What do you know about the UNESCO?

2) What do you think are the main functions or its work?

 

3. Read the text and say what the words in bold mean:

UNESCO

 

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was founded on 16 November 1945. Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men.

Today, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse — for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge — while helping Member States to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields.

In short, UNESCO promotes international co-operation among its 191 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

UNESCO is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.

This role is critical, particularly in the face of terrorism, which constitutes an attack against humanity. The world urgently requires global visions of sustainable development based upon observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which lie at the heart of UNESCO's mission and activities..

 

Tasks:

1. Answer the questions:

1. What is UNESCO?

2. When was UNESCO founded?

3. What is the main goal for UNESCO establishment?

4. How many members are there in UNESCO today?