291 GLOSSARY ACCESSION PARTNERSHIP the main instrument for the preaccession strategies of the applicant countries and the EU Its purpose is to determine the priorities and the necessary financial assistance for each area during the harmonisation of it to the legislation of the Union Each country has to work out a detailed programme for the application of the acquis determine the timetable for assignments and the human and financial resources necessary ACQUIS COMMUNAUTAIRE or COMMUNITY ACQUIS the body of rights and obligations that binds and links all the Member States in the EU It does not cover only laws in the narrow sense but also the common objectives laid down in given founding treaties Each country that wishes to become a member of the EU has to accept the decisions in the foundation treaties and adjust its legislation with the community acquis AGENDA 2000 a document of the European Commission containing a programme of activities related to the development of the EU and the financial framework for enlargement with the new Member States in the period 2000 2006 ASSOCIATED COUNTRIES countries that have signed an associated membership agreement that is the Central and Eastern European applicant countries ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS EUROPE AGREEMENTS a special form of association agreement between the EU and separate countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries The basic objective of an agreement is the preparation of the associated countries for EU accession It is based on the principles of respect for human rights democracy the rule of law and the market economy Europe Agreements have been signed with ten countries Bulgaria Czech Republic Estonia Hungary Latvia Lithuania Poland Romania Slovakia and Slovenia CARDS Community Assistance for Reconstruction Development and Stabilisation a new programme of EU technical and financial assistance for South East Europe beneficiary countries Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and 292 FYR Macedonia meant for the implementation of the stabilisation and association process CARDS priorities are reconstruction the return of refugees and displaced persons the stabilisation of the region the establishment of the institutional and legislative framework democracy human rights rights of minorities reconciliation civil society media independence the fight against organised crime sustainable economic development and economic reform oriented towards a market economy social development cross border trans national and regional collaboration CENTRAL EUROPE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT CEFTA the basic objectives of CEFTA are the harmonisation of the development of economic relations among the states signatories the raising of the standards of living and the ensuring of better employment opportunities increasing productivity a rise in financial stability and the removal of trade barriers among the signatories CEFTA created one of the preparatory activities on the way to full membership in the EU In December 1992 the Agreement was signed by the then Czechoslovakia Hungary and Poland in 1996 by Slovenia in 1997 by Romania and in 1999 Bulgaria Croatia signed a CEFTA Accession Treaty on 12 December 2002 and it is expected that Croatia will become a full member during 2003 COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY CAP its objective is to provide reasonable prices of agricultural products for European consumers appropriate incomes for farmers and the application of the principle of single prices financial fairness and a preferential approach to EU agricultural products It is one of the most important common policies of the EU and about 45 of the EU budget is spent on its implementation COPENHAGEN CRITERIA ACCESSION CRITERIA principles and criteria laid down at a meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen in 1993 The heads of Member States of the EU agreed that it would accept the countries of Central and Eastern Europe as members if they meet these political and economic criteria 1 stability of institutions to ensure democracy the rule of law the respect for human rights and the rights of minorities 2 respect for an effective market economy and 3 ability to assume the obligations that derive from the acquis including the implementation of the political economic and monetary objectives The EU retains the right of decision as to when it will receive new members 293 COUNCIL OF EUROPE an intergovernmental organisation that encourages in the member countries the development of democracy respect for human rights the rule of law and promotes the European cultural heritage The Council of Europe was set up in 1949 by ten European countries Belgium Denmark France Ireland Italy Luxembourg Norway Netherlands UK and Sweden and has today 43 members All members of the EU are also members of the Council of Europe which is headquartered in Strasbourg COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION often cited as the Council or the Council of Ministers in the texts the most important decision making body of the EU The members of the Council are the line ministers of the 15 states members who meet according to the topics for foreign policy agriculture industry and so on Irrespective of the varying sectoral composition of the ministers of the Council depending on the topic being debated the Council works as a single institution Each Member State chairs the Council for six months According to the Amsterdam Treaty the secretary general of the Council also acts as the high representative for the common foreign and security policy In the institutional triangle of the Union the European Commission the Council of the EU and the EP the Council represents the Member States ECONOMIC AND MONETARY UNION EMU the process by which Member States of the EU harmonise their economic and monetary policies with the ultimate aim of adopting the single currency the euro The Maastricht Treaty completely developed the objective of monetary union the method and timetable for its creation The European Central Bank is charged with the implementation of European monetary policy since 1999 it has fixed exchange rates and introduced the common currency From January 1991 on the EMU had 11 members and Greece joined in 1993 The common currency was not adopted by three Member States Denmark Sweden and the UK EUROPE AGREEMENTS ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK ECB administers the European central bank system its task being to determine cash flows manage foreign currency transactions manage
View Full Document
Unlocking...