Task 8. Write a plan you would use if you were to write an essay on the topic “Ukraine in the European Union: pro et contra”. Prepare a talk on this topic.

José Manuel Barroso: The Lisbon Treaty Leads to Illuminism, To Military Power, Glory and World Governance

 

Excerpt from Barroso´s speech on European Values (on the eve of signing of Lisbon Treaty, 2009)

The European Commission president says about common European values:

Freedom: because each individual is responsible for developing his own potential. But they cannot do this without responsibility. Indeed, without responsibility freedom is an empty concept.

Human rights and all the fundamental freedoms that go hand in hand with the rule of law and democracy are now recognised as indispensable values in our Union;

Tolerance – or to put it more strongly – a robust appreciation of the value of pluralism and diversity in our society. This of course ties it strongly with the Spirit of Assisi. John Paul said: "Saying 'Europe' must be equivalent to saying "openness." Tolerance implies that we cannot accept any form of discrimination between human beings.

Solidarity - Solidarity between human beings who do not exist merely as individuals; they are part of a community. But solidarity also between the member states of our European Union, and with other parts of the world; because no country in the world alone can cope with the global challenges of the 21st century. For a Europe built on values, the moral challenge of global poverty must remain one of our most compelling goals. Our focus must remain on achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

I would add a special concern for the environment, because, in addition to the obligations we have to our fellow human beings, we are also increasingly aware of the obligations we have to our planet and future generations.

But Europe should do more for peace. That is why I hope that the Lisbon Treaty will soon be ratified and signed by all Member States because it will reinforce our capacity to act globally. We have been actively promoting human rights, never hesitating to condemn their violation. But we must better use our potential as a civilian power for peace, by linking security and development to help rescue and rehabilitate failed states. We can and must do more to play our role in conflict resolution and peace-keeping and peacebuilding. Non-proliferation will be a major challenge in the coming years.

We must put human dignity at the heart of our endeavours. This is the kind of Europe I believe in. A Europe that puts people at the heart of its project. A Europe which promotes human development in the fullest possible sense. A Europe which promotes the development of "the whole man and of all men."

Task 1. Some words can have several meanings. Choose the best explanation (a or b) for each of these words or phrases as they are used in the excerpt.

Tolerance

   a the permitted variation in some measurement or other characteristic of an object or workpiece;

   b capacity to endure something, especially pain or hardship

Value

   a an amount, especially a material or monetary one, considered to be a fair exchange in return for a thing;

   b the desirability of a thing, often in respect of some property such as usefulness or exchangeability: worth, merit, or importance

3. solidarity

   a the act or state of cohering or tendency to unite;

   b unity of interests, sympathies, etc., as among members of the same class

Challenge

  a to invite or summon (someone to do something, especially to take part in a contest) ;

  b to make demands on

Capacity

  a the amount that can be contained; volume;

  b the ability to do or produce

Task 2. Look at sentences (1-10) and rearrange the letters in bold to make words and expressions. The first letter of each word/expression is in the correct place.

1. To realise its full potential, the European Union needs to modernise and r omefr.

2. In a constantly changing, ever more interconnected w ldro, Europe is grappling with new i uesss: globalisation, demographic shifts, climate change.

3. New possibilities have been c td rea e to deal for example with cross border effects of public health, civil protection and to support cross-border activities in sport.

4. Citizens will have a better i ead of who is responsible for what and why the European Union is taking aticno.

5. The innovations give the Union the possibility to better implement its policies aimed at ensuring economic gthrow and competitiveness, improving employment and social conditions.

6. The Treaty of Lisbon also contains a “solidarity clause” indicating that the Union and its Member States shall act jointly in a sitpir of solidarity.

7. The fundamental reasons for the Treaty will equip the EU to better pmotero the interests of its citizens on a day-to-day bsisa.

8. In particular, national parliaments are able to act as “watchdogs” of the piplerinc of subsidiarity.

9. They have the power to have a say at a very early stage, before a proposal is considered in dileta by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

10. It establishes a clearer distribution of powers between the Union and the Member States, which will make it easier for the censitiz to understand “who does what”.

Task 3. Understanding Expressions

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