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1、Unit9Passage:TheEuropeanUnion(EU)(Ⅰ)[Para1]TheEuropeanUnion(EU)isafamilyofdemocraticEuropeancountries,committedtoworkingtogetherforpeaceandprosperity.ItisnotaStateintendedtoreplaceexistingstates,butitismorethananyotherinternationalorganization.TheEUis,infact,unique.It
2、sMemberStateshavesetupcommoninstitutionstowhichtheydelegatesomeoftheirsovereigntysothatdecisionsonspecificmattersofjointinterestcanbemadedemocraticallyatEuropeanlevel.Thispoolingofsovereigntyisalsocalled"Europeanintegration". [Para2]ThehistoricalrootsoftheEuropeanUnio
3、nlieintheSecondWorldWar.TheideaofEuropeanintegrationwasconceivedtopreventsuchkillinganddestructionfromeverhappeningagain.ItwasfirstproposedbytheFrenchForeignMinisterRobertSchumaninaspeechon9May1950.Thisdate,the"birthday"ofwhatisnowtheEU,iscelebratedannuallyasEuropeDay
4、. [Para3]TherearefiveEUinstitutions,eachplayingaspecificrole:lEuropeanParliament(electedbythepeoplesoftheMemberStates); lCounciloftheEuropeanUnion(representingthegovernmentsoftheMemberStates); lEuropeanCommission(drivingforceandexecutivebody); lCourtofJustice(ensuring
5、compliancewiththelaw); lCourtofAuditors(controllingsoundandlawfulmanagementoftheEUbudget).Theseareflankedbyfiveotherimportantbodies:lEuropeanEconomicandSocialCommittee(expressestheopinionsoforganisedcivilsocietyoneconomicandsocialissues); lCommitteeoftheRegions(expres
6、sestheopinionsofregionalandlocalauthorities); lEuropeanCentralBank(responsibleformonetarypolicyandmanagingtheeuro); lEuropeanOmbudsman(dealswithcitizens'complaintsaboutmaladministrationbyanyEUinstitutionorbody); lEuropeanInvestmentBank(helpsachieveEUobjectivesbyfinanc
7、inginvestmentprojects); Anumberofagenciesandotherbodiescompletethesystem.[Para4]TheruleoflawisfundamentaltotheEuropeanUnion.AllEUdecisionsandproceduresarebasedontheTreaties,whichareagreedbyalltheEUcountries.[Para5]Initially,theEUconsistedofjustsixcountries:Belgium,Ger
8、many,France,Italy,LuxembourgandtheNetherlands.Denmark,IrelandandtheUnitedKingdomjoinedin1973,Greecein1981,SpainandPortugalin
