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1、Passage:TheEuropeanUnion(EU)(I)
2、Para1]TheEuropeanUnion(EU)isafamilyofdemocraticEuropeancountries,committedtoworkingtogetherforpeaceandprosperity.ItisnotaStateintendedtoreplaceexistingstates,butitismorethananyotherinternationalorganization.TheEUis,infact,unique.ItsMember
3、StateshavesetupcommoninstitutionstowhichtheydelegatesomeoftheirsovereigntysothatdecisionsonspecificmattersofjointinterestcanbemadedemocraticallyatEuropeanlevel.Thispoolingofsovereigntyisalsocalled^Europeanintegration".
4、Para2]ThehistoricalrootsoftheEuropeanUnionlieintheS
5、econdWorldWar.TheideaofEuropeanintegrationwasconceivedtopreventsuchkillinganddestructionfromeverhappeningagain.ItwasfirstproposedbytheFrenchForeignMinisterRobertSchumaninaspeechon9May1950.Thisdate,the"birthday"ofwhatisnowtheEU,iscelebratedannuallyasEuropeDay.[Para3]Ther
6、earefiveEUinstitutions,eachplayingaspecificrole:•EuropeanParliament(electedbythepeoplesoftheMemberStates);•CounciloftheEuropeanUnion(representingthegovernmentsoftheMemberStates);•EuropeanCommission(drivingforceandexecutivebody);•CourtofJustice(ensuringcompliancewiththel
7、aw);•CourtofAuditors(controllingsoundandlawfulmanagementoftheEUbudget).Theseareflankedbyfiveotherimportantbodies:•EuropeanEconomicandSocialCommittee(expressestheopinionsoforganisedcivilsocietyoneconomicandsocialissues);•CommitteeoftheRegions(expressestheopinionsofregion
8、alandlocalauthorities);•EuropeanCentralBank(responsibleformonetarypolicyandmanagingtheeuro);•EuropeanOmbudsman(dealswithcitizens1complaintsaboutmaladministrationbyanyEUinstitutionorbody);•EuropeanInvestmentBank(helpsachieveEUobjectivesbyfinancinginvestmentprojects);Anum
9、berofagenciesandotherbodiescompletethesystem・[Para4]TheruleoflawisfundamentaltotheEuropeanUnion.AllEUdecisionsandproceduresarebasedontheTreaties,whichareagreedbyalltheEUcountries・
10、Para5]Initially,theEUconsistedofjustsixcountries:Belgium,Germany,France,Italy,Luxembourgan
11、dtheNetherlands・Denmark,IrelandandtheUnitedKingdomjoinedin1973,Greecein1981,SpainandPortugalin1986,Austria,Fin
