Impact – 1. Влияние, воздействие 2. Последствие, результат

well-being – благосостояние

to ensure a rise in the well-being – обеспечить подъем благосостояния

to improve the well-being of ... – поднять благосостояние ...

well-being of mankind – благосостояние человечества

well-being of the nation – процветание всей страны

Exercise 1. Give English equivalents:

усиливать влияние на развитие экономики; иметь благоприятные последствия в сфере экономики; приводить в соответствие с европейскими стандартами экономическое и торговое законодательство; применять антидемпинговые процедуры; оказывать большое влияние на мелких производителей; улучшать экспортные возможности; повышать конкурентную способность экспортных товаров; развивать инвестиционные программы; интегрироваться в структуры Европейского Союза; укреплять торговые связи; осуществлять дипломатический нажим; повышать эксплуатационную надежность станции; процветание всей страны; повысить эффективность сдерживающих/устрашающих средств; обеспечить подъем благосостояния; приводить что-либо в соответствие с чем-либо; затрагивать привилегии/иммунитеты; повлиять на атмосферу/обстановку; оказать влияние на общественное мнение; укреплять безопасность/стабильность; оказывать влияние на принятие резолюции; оказать влияние/воздействие на обстановку

Exercise 2. Give Russian equivalents:

to strengthen

to strengthen one's position, to strengthen the leading role of the party, to strengthen political links, to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation, to strengthen a draft resolution, to strengthen the defense capability of the country, to strengthen the political clout in the region

to apply

to apply for agreement, to apply for membership, to apply for visa, to apply to the competent authorities, to apply international agreements, rule 124 does not apply to the proposal, to apply antidumping measures

to enhance

to enhance the reputation, to enhance the position, to enhance efficiency, to enhance power and influence, to enhance international peace, to enhance security/stability, to enhance deterrence, to enhance the operational reliability of the station

to affect

the tax increases have affected the people's welfare; the opinion will not affect the opinion; the change in climate may affect the health; to be deeply affected by the news of the death; cancer has affected lungs; the worst affected areas are the Midlands and North-West; to affect privileges/immunities; to affect somebody' s interests; to affect a resolution; to affect the situation; to affect the atmosphere

Exercise 3. Give Russian/English to the following the word combinations to go with the word impact:

impact

1. to add, to assess, to cushion *, to diminish, to exaggerate, to exert, to feel, to have, to make, to lessen, to offset *, to realize, to reduce, to resist, to soften, to take into consideration, to weigh impact

2. actual, considerable, decisive, direct, disturbing, evident, extensive, familiar, full, great, horrifying, immediate, initial, limited, major, marked, massive, maximum, minimal, painful, negligible, potential, powerful, real, revolutionary, serious, severe, slight, strong, terrific, tremendous, widespread impact

3. сила воздействия на общественное развитие; оказывать воздействие на ход переговоров; возможное влияние на отношения; уменьшить влияние в регионе; последствия быстрой перемены; влияние разоружения на экономику; экономическое воздействие; воздействие на окружающую среду; оказывать влияние на общественное мнение; воздействие рекламы; влияние на промышленность; сильное воздействие; налоговое влияние

to cushion*- 1. to reduce the force or unpleasant effects of; to cushion a blow – смягчить удар: Nothing can cushion the shock of the tragedy. The training program helps to cushion the effects of unemployment. 2. (against) to protect from hardship or sudden change: He was cushioned against inflation by his government pension.

to offset* (offset, offsetting) – to make up for, to compensate for; to balance: The cost of getting there was offset by the fact that the hotels are so cheap. He offset his travel expenses against his tax.

Exercise 4. Paraphrase the following italicized words or word combinations and explain the meaning using a dictionary if necessary:

1. The political clout in the region is expected to strengthen and its influence on Russian economic life is set to grow. 2. But although the political ramifications of EU extension are considered damaging for Russia, the economic consequences are far from being a black-and-white, win-or-lose situation. 3. EU membership will require Eastern and Central European countries to bring their economic and trade legislation in line with EU standards, which could mean new hurdles for Russian producers.4. EU candidate countries in Eastern and Central Europe account for about 20 percent of Russian Exports. 5. Moscow has expressed fears that EU expansion may erode trade with Eastern Europe. 6. Russia will also slowly become integrated into the EU culturally as it plows more investment into the EU member states in Eastern Europe. 7. Economists expect Western European nations to pour money into Eastern Europe. 8. That could pull the EU and Russia closer together. 9. EU regulations demand greater transparency in financial transactions. 10. Gas make up the lion's share of exports to Finland.

Exercise 5. Pay attention to a frequent usage of the conjunction ”But.” Read some preliminary information about the use of Conjunctions which can play different roles in English:

Conjunctions are divided into general classes.

1. Coordinate conjunctions (сочинительные союзы), which connect words, phrases, and clauses of equal rank: as, and, likewise, in like manner, but, nevertheless, yet, however, on the contrary, or, nor, therefore, hence, according, etc.

2. Subordinate conjunctions (подчинительные союзы), which are used to introduce subordinate clauses and connect them with the words which they modify: as, if unless, although/ though, since, for, so, so that, in order that, as if, as though, etc.

“But”

But is ordinarily a coordinate conjunction (сочинительный союз вводит противоречащие или ограничивающие друг друга слова и предложения и соответствуют в русском языке союзам “но”, “а”, “тем не менее”, “однако”), but may also be used in the following ways:

1. as a preposition, equivalent to except (предлог but переводится русскими предлогами “кроме”,”за исключением”): They had no alternative but to agree.

2. as an adverb, equivalent to only (соответствует русским ограничительным частицам “лишь”, “только”: We have but a few copies left. You have but to ask for it. They can but try.

The last sentence is not to be confused with “They cannot but try”, in which but is a preposition. This expression seems to be due to ellipsis of “They cannot do anything but (except) try.”

The expression cannot help but is an incorrect form resulting from a confusing of two correct forms: “They cannot but try,” and “They cannot help trying.”

3. as a relative pronoun, equivalent to that – not, who – not: There is no one but pities him ( who does not pity him).

4. as a subordinate conjunction, equivalent to but that or that – not: There is no doubt but they are rich (but that they are rich).

There is no doubt but they are rich (but that что they are rich). Нет сомнения, что они богаты.

I do not doubt but that you are surprised. -Я не сомневаюсь, что вы удивлены.

I cannot deny but (that) you are right. – Не могу не отрицать, что вы правы.

I didn’t know but you might be tired.

It never rains but it pours.

He never goes to the theater but he regrets.

But приобретает другие значения в составе сочетаний таких как:

but for – без, кроме; если бы не; all but – почти, чуть не; anything but – далеко не; все, что угодно, только не; и т.п.

But for you we shouldn’t have finished the work in time – Без вас (если бы не вы) мы бы не окончили работу вовремя.

He all but fell – Он едва (чуть) не упал.

It is anything but pleasant – Это далеко (вовсе) не приятно.

You can but try – Во всяком случае (по крайней мере) вы можете попробовать.

I can but hope – Я могу только надеяться.

I cannot but suggest – Не могу не предложить.

We cannot but hope he is right – Нам остается только надеяться, что он прав.

I cannot help but think – Не могу не думать.

But then – Но зато; но с другой стороны.

Last but one – предпоследний.

“But that”

But that is used as subordinate conjunction.

I don’t know but that I shall go.

I have no doubt but that he will come. Я не сомневаюсь, что он придет.

In these sentences, but emphasizes the idea in the subordinate clause – it implies greater certainty that what is said there is true or will occur. Compare the following sentences without but.

I don’t know that I shall go.

I have no doubt that he will come.

Note: But what should not be used for but that. The sentence, “I don’t know but what he will do it, ”is incorrect (say but that). In general, but what is correct as a connective only when but that which can be substituted for it (what is equivalent to that which: thus, “I do not know anything but what he told me”(but that which he told me).

Translate the following sentences identifying the functions and the role of but:

1. But after the breakdown of negotiations over the EU’ s new constitutional treaty at the Brussels summit , the task of center-right coalition in Europe looks more formidable * still.

2. Free movement of workers across borders is a basic EU policy. But it poses problems of scale when the EU is gaining ten countries, with a combined population of 75m that have wage levels and living standards far below the 15 existing member countries (and 280m people). Cyprus and Malta apart, the new members include eight central European countries with an average income per head of only 23% of the EU average in 2001. That figure falls to 18% if Bulgaria and Romania, which hope to join in 2007, are added. Given such a big gap, and high unemployment in many of new countries, the question should perhaps not be why so many workers might want to leave, but why so many might choose to stay.

2. Under the EU treaties each of the 15 member countries – to be 25 as of the next May – takes it in turn to be “president” of the Union for a period of six months. This system of rotation was set up to ensure that everybody had a crack at managing the EU’s internal agenda and at representing the Union to the outside world. But it can be a recipe for incoherence and confusion. Foreign leaders are treated to an endlessly changing cast of presidents, each of whom approaches the job with different priorities and personal styles. Naturally, the presidency is meant to reflect the consensus of opinion within the EU as a whole. But president can launch initiatives, act as a spokesman for the Union and draft the diplomatic statements that are issued at the end of each big European summit.

3. But, as ever in the Berlusconi era, the real concern is not their objective merits but their subjective intention – which seems to be to undermine Mr. Berlusconi’s attackers.

4. But the three Baltic countries find it irritating to be tagged as ‘tiny’.

5. Over the next 12 months Gerhard Schrцder, the German chancellor, and Jacques Chirac, the French president, carefully coordinated their positions on all big international and European issues. But now a new year has dawned; it appears that the old couple no longer have eyes * only for each other. On February 18^th Mr. Schrцder will host a summit in Berlin. The guests will be Mr. Chirac, naturally, but also Britain’s Tony Blair.

6. The immediate outcome of the Berlin summit is likely to be unexciting. Expect guff about the urgency of economic reform and the need for progress on the EU’ s new constitution. But the meeting is still important, because it may be part of an emerging pattern.

8. But a senior British diplomat counters that it would be a mistake for Britain to rely too heavily on the new close relationships with the Italian, Polish and Spanish governments. If the left were to return to power in Italy and Spain, for example, those countries might well revert to their traditionally federalist views and fall in behind France and Germany. Britain might then be left high and dry *. “It’s not that we’re switching horses,” explains the diplomat. “But we’re trying to ride several horses at once.” Britain needs its ties with the “new” Europeans; but not at the expense of an estrangement * from France and Germany.

9. But what is in it for the French and Germans? There are still officials in Paris and Berlin who believe that any flirtation with Britain is bound to end in tears. In the end, they reason, the British will always be incorrigibly pro-American and suspicious of the EU. But others think the British may be tempted into a more “European” position, particularly on defense, if only they are treated with more respect.

The current stock phrase in Berlin is that Franco-German agreement is a ‘necessary, but not a sufficient condition’ for moving the EU forward.

10. But the new members must also fear that, having striven so hard to join the EU, they may discover that the real decisions are increasingly taken elsewhere.

11. Poland, along with nine other countries, mostly from central and eastern Europe, will formally join the EU in may, but all have been included in the constitutional debate as they will be full members when any constitution comes into force.

12. To make the point that Germany is thinking of European rather than national interests in pressing for the new constitution, German diplomats are now recounting a key moment in the Brussels summit. Searching for a compromise, Silvio Belusconi, the Italian prime minister who was chairing the talks, suggested to Gerhard Schrцder, the German chancellor, that rather than moving to a voting system linked to population, Germany could simply have more votes within the current system: perhaps more votes, giving Germany 32 votes, against 29 each for France, Britain and Italy, and 27 each for Poland and Spain. Mr. Schrцder, dismissed this angrily: the point. He said, was not to increase German power, but to give the EU a more rational system of government. Maybe so. But then a population-based voting system is even more advantageous to Germany.

13. Even diligent and legal migrant workers from central Europe could pose political problems for western European governments, if they come in large enough numbers and seem to price locals out * jobs. But they will still be valuable economically, because they are likely to contribute more in work than they take out in * pay.

14. Once a policy initiative is launched by a presidency, it is then up to the European Commission to propose ways of turning it into law. In most cases the European Parliament will be involved in amending any proposals. But final shape of the law is usually decided by EU countries meeting in the Council of Ministers. Here the presidency can have a crucial influence by discerning “consensus”, drafting compromises, or delaying discussion.

15. Brutal it may be. But there is not a lot the European Central Bank can do about the appreciation * of the euro.

to have eyes for sth (idiom) * – be a good judge of or have a proper sense of sth: He has an eye for a bargain; обладать наблюдательностью; быть знатоком чего-либо; знать толк, разбираться в чем-либо;

high and dry (idiom) * – in difficult position, unable to continue normally: Her husband has left her high and dry without money;

estrangement *- отчуждение; разрыв;

formidable * -(task) невероятно трудный; устрашающий; грозный;

to price out * (phrasal verb) – завышать цену чего-либо; ценить (себя) слишком;

to take out in *(phrasal verb) – компенсировать долг не деньгами: When he broke the window , the owner let him take it out in garden work.

appreciation * – повышение курса валюты.

Exercise 6. Study the notes and translate what follows with the word far (the Economist, The Guardian 2004):

Far is used for emphasis. Normally, far combines with comparative/superlative forms: far better (намного лучше, гораздо лучше), far the best. This edition is far (=a lot) different (совершенно другой) from the earlier one.

Far combines with verbs like prefer and would rather. I far prefer swimming to diving.

1. If the Turkish side now agrees to a version of the Annan proposals, the onus * will then fall on the Greek Cypriots, who are far from enthusiastic about the plan.

2. Thus, polls suggest that Americans are far more sympathetic to Israel than Europeans and also more open to the use of military force. Some Europeans complain that American policymakers, preoccupied by the Middle East, take a cavalier approach to some extremely sensitive issues, such as Turkish membership of the EU. One German analysts groans “as far as the Americans are concerned, the discussion over whether Turkey should join the EU is already over. Now they want us to accept Israel, Palestine and Georgia”.

3. The euro area is also far from blameless. Policymakers wring their hands * about “brutal ” rise in the euro zone, yet the euro is still close to fair value against a basket of currencies. If Europeans are worried that a stronger euro will hurt their economies, then the solution is simple: The European Central Bank should cut interests rates to boost demand.

4. Meanwhile, at the present stage of cooperation with the European Union, which is far from ideal, the government and private companies are running into serious difficulties.

5. Americans have long seen Europe as the old world. Now they have another reason to count the difference. Europe is ageing far more faster than the new world. The old world faces a daunting demographic challenge. This year’s expansion of the European Union from 15 to 25 countries increases its population from 380m to 455m – way ahead of America’s 295m. Yet by 2050, the United States will have almost caught up: if forecasts prove correct, there will be 420m Americans, compared with Europeans.

6. Compare what the EU has now with what it will get in the new constitution, and the document passes with flying colours. It is far more coherent than its predecessors.

7. It is a good constitution, which sets the right framework for a reformed and effective EU, and deserves a far better support.

8. At their Brussels summit last year EU governments agreed on a security strategy that went far beyond the issue of Europe. They recognized that fortress Europe was unworkable and immoral. “The post-cold war environment is one of increasingly open borders in which the internal and external aspects of security are indissolubly linked,” the strategy document says. Implicitly rejecting the Bush concept of military preemption, it calls for “preventive engagement,” by which it means European action to help countries return to democracy, or build it, before military threats arise.

9. Far more than the conventional goals of improving airlift capacity or ensuring national weapon-systems are inter-operable, Europe needs brain and sensitivity if it is to be respected as a new global player.

onus * – бремя, ответственность

to wring one’s hands *- крепко пожимать руки

Exercise 7. Answer the questions keeping close to the text:

1. What are the consequences of the EU 's expanding for Russia?

2. What are the expected drawbacks of the EU's expanding for Russia?

3. What are the expected advantages of the EU' s expanding for Russia?

4. Express your position (your agreement or disagreement) on some issues.

Т ема IV.

THE EU AND RUSSIA'S INTERESTS

At the foundation of EU enlargement is a desire to support democratic transformation and promote prosperity and stability across Europe. The economic dimension of the enlargement process obliges candidate countries to integrate and harmonize their economies with that of the European Union. Even though Russia is not a candidate country, this integration process affects it as well.

More than a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia remains outside the European integration processes under way in Central and Eastern Europe as part of the vision of creating "Greater Europe." This concept of a "Greater Europe" raises questions for Russia about its place in Europe that it has yet to resolve.

Solving this question is essential if a new split in Europe is to be avoided, and the solution involves gradually integrating Russia into the main European institutions. EU enlargement and NATO expansion, along with the problem of Kaliningrad, make a need for solutions now more acute than ever.

Russian authorities initially looked at EU enlargement mostly from an economic point of view. Most Russian analysts said the macroeconomic impact of enlargement would be ultimately beneficial to Russia, even though there would be difficulties and new problems to sort out during the initial phases of the process. Russia drew up a list of concerns that it presented to the European Union in order to get assurance that the enlargement process would not threaten Russia's legitimate political and economic security interests.

The Russians also saw the political consequences of EU enlargement as being ultimately favorable. For a start, Russia and the union do not have any serious security disagreements, and they share common foreign policy objectives and interests in areas such as meeting the challenges of the post-Cold War world, including ethnic, religious and territorial conflicts, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism and other transborder problems, such as organized crime, illegal immigration and other issues.

Russia and the European Union both support increased cooperation in accordance with international law and oppose a unilateral approach to resolving the main issues on the international agenda. For Russian officials, EU enlargement, unlike NATO expansion, has never been perceived as a threat to Russia's security interests.

Secondly, one of the conditions the European Union laid down in negotiations with the candidate countries was that they over come the "Soviet syndrome" – get over their anti-Russian mood and normalize relations with Moscow. This applied especially to the Baltic states, which had at times used historical grievances toward Russia in attempts to pressure NATO and EU officials.

Thirdly, EU membership of Central and Central European countries, including the Baltic states, could open the way to new and improved relations between Russia and these countries, as they adopted not just the economic model, but also the political standards, and relations of the European Union.

GENERAL PROBLEMS

Russia's main concern about EU enlargement, both in the political and economic sense, was that there would be a growing gap between it and Europe. The European Union undertook steps to reduce this gap by proposing such initiatives as the Northern Dimension Program, a European regional program that also includes Russia's northwestern regions.

But over time, lack of financing has turned this program into something that is more about words than action. The European Council approved an action plan for the Northern Dimension Program in Portugal in June 2000, but financing remained insufficient. At the same time, however, the program is an important step for Russia and the European Union and sets a model for what could become a key direction of Russia’s integration into Europe.

It is in Russia's interests that the enlargement process and reform of the European Union's decision-making procedures not affect its functioning as one the key European international institution. In this sense, Russia's views coincide with those of the core group of EU members that stress that reforms within the European Union must be synchronized and coordinated with the strategy for taking in new members. Russia is concerned about to what extent the European Union will emerge from enlargement more effective and economically stronger and, therefore, of more interest to Russia as a political and economic partner.

Moscow also has concerns that the influx of new members still not entirely over the "post-Soviet syndrome" could affect the way the European Union sees Russia as a partner. Going on the experience of NATO expansion, Russia fears that theses countries will hold back their anti-Russian sentiments during the membership negotiation process and then let them show through again once they have become members, putting a brake on development of cooperation with Russia. Particularly sensitive is cooperation on political security. A cooling of relations in this area would be counterproductive for Europe and could affect Russia's so far generally favorable perception of European political and defense integration.

The Schengen Agreements were developed and implemented over the first half of the 1990s as part of the project to create a single market within which there would be free movement of goods, services, capital and people. As part of this integration, the countries in the zone had to unify their visa procedures. New members have to bring their legislation into line with EU laws, and this includes having the same list of countries whose citizens need visas and the same laws on foreign citizens as the other EU countries.

European Union enlargement eastwards had meant changes for Russia, as the number of countries requiring Russians to get visas has crept closer to its borders. It has become harder for Russians to get Schengen visas with stricter conditions for visa applications and applications for visa extensions, an increased number of refusals and higher fees to pay.

Russia's concern is that the Schengen zone not become a new dividing wall in Europe. This is the motivation behind President Vladimir Putin's initiative to eventually have visa-free travel between Russia and Europe. This initiative has found support from Romano Prodi, the president of The European Commission.

One of the biggest issues for Russia regarding EU enlargement is the problem of free access to Kaliningrad Oblast, home to 950,000 Russian citizens. This issue has shown just essential it is for Russia, Poland and Lithuania to have good relations. These three countries have two important tasks to resolve. First, ensuring stable borders, which is one of the conditions for EU membership, and, second, ensuring that Russia's interests are taken into account.

The EU-Russia summit in November 2002 came up with a compromise solution to the problem of transit to and from Kaliningrad, and in April this year practical agreements were reached.

Negotiations between the European Union and Lithuania on transit for Russian citizens to and from Kaliningrad are now almost complete. The proposal is that Russians will be able to obtain a transit document using either their foreign or internal passport and will be able to spend up to 24 hours on Lithuanian territory. If all the procedures go ahead according to schedule, visa-free transit will begin July 1, 2003.

But transit of people is not the only problem in Kaliningrad Oblast. There are also issues to be resolved such as creating a stable climate for Russian and foreign investment, dealing with an economic model based on import-substitution production, which could collapse if Russia joins the World Trade Organization and has to lower import duties, and how to adapt the Kaliningrad economy to the EU economy that will surround it.

EU enlargement is a challenge both for it and for Russia. If the enlargement and integration processes do not take into account Russia's interests, then the aim of building a zone of stability and security across Europe will not be achieved. It will not be possible to have a prosperous and stable Europe in the west if the east of Europe is economically backward and unstable. The EU enlargement and integration process must also have a "Russian dimension", that is, a series of measures and programs to reduce the gap between Russia and Europe.

Notes:

the influx – the arrival of large numbers of people or large amounts of money, goods etc. especially suddenly: Tourism has brought a huge influx of wealth into the region;

the core group – a number of people who form a strong group which is very important to an organization: The club was beginning to develop a core of young people who were active in the community;

Active Vocabulary:

acute – 1. острый, проницательный; 2. сильный, резкий;

acute crisis – острый кризис;

acute problem – острая / злободневная проблема;

agenda – повестка дня;