Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Work

Exercise 1. Look through the text and answer the following questions.

1. What is the difference between the common market and the internal market?

2. Give examples of Union common policy.

3. What is understood by the term ‘free movement of goods’?

4. Why is the term ‘single economic area’ considered to be important in the context of the EU?

5. Give examples of direct and indirect obstacles of free trade mentioned in the text. Can you explain what policies or activities are meant by each of the terms.

6. Name the two most important aims of the Customs Union.

7. What is meant by the term ‘goods’ in the text above?

8. What economic measures are referred to as ‘invisible trade barriers’

Exercise 2. Suggest Russian equivalents of the following expressions. Use them in your own sentences.

A to follow from the provisions; to encompass the ‘internal market’; to circulate unimpeded; to contribute to the creation of wealth; to circulate freely throughout the whole Union; to ‘deflect’ trade from; to pay customs duties and charges; to reimburse; to be in free circulation; to alter their cost price; to produce restrictive effect; to have repercussions worldwide; to keep the proceeds; to hinder imports and exports; to favour typical national products; to extend to exports

B rising standards of living; elimination of all existing obstacles of free trade; charge having equivalent effect; adoption of a common customs tariff; quantitative restriction on imports; domestic products; abundant case law; suspension of CCT duties; intra Union trade; interstate trade; contested measure; Union competition rules

C in accordance with the provisions; on this point; in terms of trade; in pursuance of the Treaties; it suffices that; by the same token

Exercise 3. Answer the questions on the text.

1. Why is the free movement of goods so important for the Union?

2. What were the results of the establishment of the single market on the territory of the EU?

3. What are the functions of the Customs Union provided for in the Treaty?

4. What would the non-adoption of a common customs tariff lead to?

5. Are there any differences between imported goods and those originating in the Member States in the way they circulate within the territory of the EU?

6. How did the Court define ‘charges having equivalent effect’? Is it always prohibited?

7. What is the primary role of CCT? How was it adopted? What are the legal consequences of its adoption?

8. What has the creation of the Customs Union resulted in?

9. Can we say that an economic measure constitutes an invisible trade barrier if it makes trade unnecessarily difficult?

10. Give an example of an invisible trade barrier mentioned in the text.

11. Is it possible for a Member State to impose extra taxation on the products of other Member States?

12. What is the aim of the prohibition of discriminating or protective taxation?

13. What distinguishes a protective internal taxation from a charge having an effect equivalent to a customs duty?

14. What products are affected by protective taxation? What products are referred to as ‘similar’?

Exercise 4. Read the text and choose the best suitable word to fill in the gaps. Match four initiatives enumerated in the text with the appropriate name for them given in the list above the text. Then, say what you have learned from the text.

A accreditation and surveillance

B conformity

C registration of motor vehicles

D mutual recognition

The Commission 1 that improving the internal market is an ongoing process requiring continuous updating, taking account of recent technological progress, the constantly 2 global situation and the needs of consumers. The Commission noted that, 3 considerable progress, there are still two major problems: some national technical rules still constitute important 4 to free trade within the Union, particularly in sectors that have not been 5 and several Union rules are inconsistent and a burden to trade! Small and medium-sized enterprises are the most seriously 6 by this problem.

The Commission proposes four initiatives:

1. I: a proposal for a regulation laying down 7 that the national authorities must follow in applying national technical rules to products lawfully marketed in another Member State – the regulation entered into force in May 2009;

2. II: the Commission also mentions a proposal for a regulation to ensure that non-compliant products are quickly withdrawn from the market and make it easier to 8 the conformity of goods – the certification issued by accredited laboratories and testing facilities will have to be accepted throughout the Union;

3. III: a proposal for a decision on a common framework for the marketing of products, aiming at streamlining the various product conformity assessment procedures;

4. IV: an interpretative communication on the procedure for registration of vehicles 9 in another Member State.

1	A	ensures	B	ascertains	C	proves	D	makes sure
2	A	changing	B	fluctuating	C	transforming	D	influencing
3	A	notwithstanding	B	in spite of	C	thanks to	D	however
4	A	cages	B	mechanisms	C	barriers	D	obstacles
5	A	complied with	B	unified	C	ratified	D	harmonised
6	A	effected	B	affected	C	concerned	D	touched
7	A	procedures	B	processes	C	rules	D	proceedings
8	A	try	B	appreciate	C	assess	D	test
9	A	appearing	B	issuing	C	originating	D	making

Exercise 5. Read the text and fill in the gaps with the required prepositions provided below. Then say whether the statements below are true, false or incomplete. Finally, say what you have learned about the possible exceptions to the free movement of goods in the Union.