u% c- V5 c$ T: p2 C0 Y' X( E9 } 斯洛伐克:召开学生大会 % p* W# N9 P7 Q- ` Q, K
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斯洛文尼亚:组织跳伞活动 Y& ^* w5 C# w Q$ n% H# c9 j ; f4 E; a! |! L* B' _8 d o7 q5 q7 H 西班牙:拼出欧盟27国大型拼图 0 ?# G3 g/ o5 d1 x & t; z0 [# p r1 C 瑞典:召开欧洲研讨会 k+ q' u6 x0 v0 Z8 W1 G
March 20, 2007 9 U5 z- c" s l ) j% A& ?8 n- D0 JKim Wilde – Belgium’s choice for the great EU 50th birthday bash # g' z1 Z) m$ I" R+ n. M( z( ]. }; m1 B+ R8 S* G, @. b
She is most famous for singing about kids in America. Now Kim Wilde has been cast as a symbol of European unity. * t0 z! b" Q9 a3 I: B# \& b
/ B3 b( i& s8 WShe will star at an evening of veteran rock stars being offered to Belgians as a suitable way of marking the EU’s half century. If that appears a little incongruous as a way of marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, there are further unexpected delights. 6 d2 V; B* l5 z- H. w2 z; r9 x
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Brussels, home of the European Commission and Parliament, will stage the open-air concert with a lineup of pop veterans including Nana Mouskouri — who in the 1990s was an MEP — and Wilde. Nick Boyles, Wilde’s agent, said that she was not being paid for her appearance and would sing two songs — her recently rereleased 1980s hit You Came as well as Together We Belong.# _/ R% z# B' h8 l
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“It is quite an appropriate title,” Mr Boyles said. “We are not being paid and she is delighted to be participating.” $ Q" k h& m" s# y6 y ; e# Q1 \$ l# I) K3 LIn Ireland and the Netherlands, special EU prayers will be said in churches on Sunday, while in Luxembourg there will be an 8km EU walk taking in the birthplace of Robert Schuman, one of the founders of the EU. 3 W" m' J) \0 e' p" [6 _ , ~! D( _- x% j: Y8 E0 A. s( j. NDanes will mark the occasion with free buns. Estonians will plant trees. Czechs can run a half-marathon — and Cyprus has an open day at its local EU office. Slovenes will be treated to a parachute jump by sky-divers sporting the EU colours of blue and gold stars. In Madrid, students will build a “giant puzzle” of the 27 member countries. Malta is holding a firework display, a film festival, several concerts and even a European jobs fair. % s1 b% h, u% S0 r" v+ }+ }3 p
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Some countries appear to have planned their events with symbolism in mind. Luxembourg is staging a circular walk. Bulgaria, Finland and Slovakia are offering debates or conferences. But Sweden has not even tried to be subtle: it is holding a Europe seminar. . c9 `0 }. S* ] t9 P; u " x& |# ]& w! wIt might be enough to have Swedes queueing to see Wilde, who since her 1980s heyday has turned herself into a celebrity gardener in Britain while maintaining a musical following in Europe, particularly Germany and Belgium. Last year a single spent nine weeks in the German top 100. " B V3 |4 U5 h4 J3 K - F1 D, Y0 ?5 C1 Q+ c8 LFrance has tried harder than most, shooting a film to be shown on national television on Sunday. Nous nous sommes tant haïs ( How We Hated Each Other), a film about the reawakening of love between a Parisian barmaid and a former German officer who lost contact for five years after a wartime affair. The tear-jerking, European Commission-funded made-for-TV romance of Marie and Jörgen has become the latest vehicle for inspiring mass enthusiasm in the European Union. ) K; Z6 r5 f1 |( B1 u# u( ?) z" z. V( Q& S" E
Their story, a heavy-handed allegory for the unification of Europe, starts when they rediscover each other on May 9, 1950, the day that Schuman, France’s Foreign Minister, called for a Franco-German coal and steel community. Jörgen is by now a journalist covering the momentous events and Marie a sultry barmaid with a 5-year-old boy. ; f# M' I, l. f ) X) L3 n7 V9 ^# u6 v% g# T# HNigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, said that he was unlikely to watch the film. , V* r% y- A' S+ N3 ]
2 f6 o ?$ S' O' q9 u7 T“What nonsense,” he said. “Girls will fall for foreign soldiers with or without the European Union. The whole 50th anniversary party is a desperate attempt to show how delighted everybody is with the EU’s birthday — but the only ones who are really happy are those in its pay.” & t1 p5 y, m2 j8 t6 c( B
7 H( J6 C6 D" }9 D0 N$ f G3 WPlans for simultaneous dance festivals in every country were dropped because states said it reminded them of Soviet-style mass participation “fun”. . o! \) Z D5 q1 ]8 C
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How to celebrate 50 years of Europe. g Y" @0 Q8 P* f
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Austria: Young rock bands " J3 }0 L) b5 q* Z 5 z( P; A$ @1 mBelgium: Veteran pop stars + A- h! I" \8 ^( v 7 d( _. G b( X5 A$ A: TBritain: Football match 9 }8 E- M. `: N1 Y# Y1 V& @7 d+ |1 g- }3 E/ G J3 w/ p
Bulgaria: University debates # E5 a" o! z6 n& {" i0 ?8 b. s! ? ! ?3 r4 x/ K* J& {/ GCyprus: EU office open day . y0 x4 D6 I/ u/ O( T: ?0 I% g( {) F; c
Czech Republic: Half marathon 3 `8 ~2 I$ P- D: C; ]- i0 s5 R& x/ }# L$ Y2 U; a( x1 b
Denmark: Free buns % {! Z) r7 o) n% p
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Estonia: Tree planting : ^# R2 v, d' B- }6 @
! E; f- U. M" XFinland: Public debates 4 u0 p" |: C$ t+ Z; a7 t9 ~
5 x9 b- ^$ D+ f% B; E/ XFrance: Romantic movie ! ^# q$ h6 o: ?" O" V. ~
3 A% L1 H8 q+ B! b41.欧洲议会对所有欧盟法律都进行了民主的调查; # h( V2 T( } A2 M, T' V
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42.欧盟给予欧洲各国更多(而非更少)的主权; 1 ^1 R6 L' i3 c& J6 r( H8 K- F2 Q: \; k4 a6 s6 `$ H; m
43.成熟化的欧盟成为美国和中国权力的一个更为适当的平衡体; & K' T3 i1 L6 P) w' x) Z5 D3 q I0 X5 [7 G, s
44.欧洲移民加速了英国经济的增长; , }6 b r t+ g( t8 Z, Y+ q& s& ^: i5 Z& {
45.欧洲人掌握多种语言的人数不断增加--除了英国人; $ e. T# S. l5 \ u- W% G7 |6 K/ Z3 U/ _! E$ Z* e' q+ g$ S/ h
46.欧洲就如何更为恰当的资助国家卫生服务体系为英国树立了一个良好的榜样; 1 t4 k/ k5 n6 q' Z/ L9 c5 H, }) [& D5 U4 m! J) Y' ^( j3 A
47.英国餐馆现在在全球分布更为广泛; ! A$ e, C' W% {! H7 q& l' M
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48.欧洲各职业专业人员移动性更高; ! |0 G$ Y7 @7 E
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49.欧洲使得英国对食物和烹饪的观点发生革命性的变化; . }& M0 X2 `, Y" k
7 ]" {; H5 y1 K9 ?# ~4 Z Y# S50.以上所列出的现象使得欧元怀疑论者发疯。 4 V% t8 E8 C2 I( q9 d" C) K0 L3 J7 J. d8 w/ z0 C. t) t
So, what has Europe ever done for us? Apart from... 3 M C5 ^; V# r3 O" y) t
1. The end of war between European nations 7 d0 A5 Q1 e3 @1 w: a" C # O1 X I2 U7 e1 m4 M. nWhile rows between England, France and Germany have been a feature of EU summits, war between Europe's major powers is now unthinkable. The fact that the two world wars that shaped the last century now seem so remote is, in itself, tribute to a visionary project that has permanently changed the landscape. As the EU celebrates the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome it is clear that while the detailed topography will always be difficult to agree, it is an extraordinary achievement that we are standing on common ground. * }" m! j! T% M g- o* Q* l2 Z6 w6 m1 S4 ~6 q8 W6 |, X+ d
2. Democracy is flourishing in 27 countries $ {3 f8 ^2 y) P$ B- o; n4 P" J) T. \6 _, x8 o# Y( s
Spain, Portugal, Greece, and the EU's 10 ex-Communist countries are parliamentary democracies. None of these nations were truly free in the decades following the Second World War. Each is now a democracy anchored within the EU and is unlikely to change course.# ~; {' O1 I2 S& r0 t
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3. Once poor countries like Ireland, Greece and Portugal prospering 6 T9 b N1 r8 l, V0 ~ 7 w* X0 y9 R! Q% TEU subsidies well spent have been crucial to the lift-off of the Irish economy. Once firmly in Britain's economic shadow, the Celtic tiger has emerged. Gross domestic product per capita in Ireland in 2005 was 137.1 per cent of the EU average, compared to 116.8 per cent in the UK. , c% t# ]" g3 {7 s$ d; I) l9 z2 `. U3 z : S, [, a+ ^% _! s. W3 S4. The creation of the world's largest internal trading market8 b, o* x& C" P+ M' Z9 N' F
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The 27-nation EU now around 500m people making it the world's largest economic trading bloc. By comparison the US has a population of around 300m. The old EU 25 had 19.2 per cent of the World's exports as compared with 14.4 per cent from the US. This gap is set to grow following the last enlargement in January to 27 member states.$ S$ O F4 I9 L
# v# u1 X, ?9 v5 n" A3 f# u5. Shopping without frontiers has given consumers more power! L l8 e; [: I, A9 ]. ?
, x: T4 @& z$ C1 V0 A) T/ g6 {, Q8 M SEuropean consumers can buy goods for their own use in whichever EU country they choose - in person, on the internet, over the telephone, or by mail order - without paying additional taxes. This competition is driving down prices and increasing quality 9 U* ?: I* ?& O4 `2 g$ ]/ m, Q* C- U. b
6. Co-operation on continent-wide immigration policy # _, Q- C! n' F# F- N% z! y * `+ j; f2 Z- ?0 kThough EU countries set immigration levels the EU is increasingly active in the fight against illegal migration and in trying to match the labour needs of European countries to the supply of migrants. On the downside, the EU is increasingly an impregnable fortress and many lose their lives trying to get here by boat from Africa 5 b# O1 i+ f v4 i" [% f, d; g, K/ r3 }- K* M' q- {
7. Crime-busting co-operation, through Europol 6 u$ v& o5 [% r8 K. P9 {! t7 L
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This provides a clearing house for EU police forces. The police in EU member states can now use an EU arrest warrant to get suspects moved from one country to another where they will face serious charges without lengthy extradition procedures.& W& y, D' [% h, [+ b l
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8. Laws which make it easier for British people to buy property in Europe7 ?# Z6 b# h# c: h4 A' S' W
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It may not be good for the environment but access to second homes a short-haul flight away has fulfilled the dreams of millions of Britons. Retirement or regular holidays from the south of Spain to the east of Bulgaria has become a reality for many and a legally safeguarded one at that. 8 U2 G! u: g% [& E D. {0 ^5 N/ i5 [ }+ }9. Cleaner beaches and rivers throughout Europe 9 A; V l6 n- \2 ]9 F3 V9 Z+ | 4 H% X, h" j* }7 a* D2 r" XEU law and peer pressure - including annual reports - have forced the UK to clean up its act, for example bringing the once-dirty waters off Blackpool beach up to standard. The first EU legislation was passed in 1976 with two more pieces in 2002 and 2006. Now you can monitor the quality of bathing water by checking on a website., ~5 V3 g4 h& x+ _6 N
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10. Four weeks statutory paid holiday a year for workers in Europe$ r- C0 U# B* R& h
' f: S: }1 A) q" bThe EU Working Time Directive ensures that all Europeans get at least four weeks of paid holiday per year. In the US many workers get a fortnight. The same directive provides for 11 hours rest in every 24 and one day of rest per week plus a rest break if the working day is longer than six hours. Minimum standards are set for paid maternity and paternity leave. ' {$ M( L( s1 g/ U _4 Z( ]& B) t& z& ~
11. No death penalty (incompatible with EU membership)! A: O8 D; S# V/ T* d
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No EU member state has the death penalty and reintroduction of capital punishment would not be compatible with EU membership. Even countries outside the EU are having to review their policies if they want to be considered for membership of the club, most notably Turkey.& H( l5 x5 G# t w* F0 Q
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12. Competition means cheaper phone calls; i5 W7 [3 I9 \4 n. Y' }
4 r# B: G, V4 L! b$ W' Q# h- b, A* vSince the liberalisation of telecommunications in the 1980s loosened the grip of the monopolies, prices have plummeted. The European Commission says the cost of international calls in the EU has fallen by 80 per cent since 1984. 8 z$ N, |% M7 K 0 d# D( l, L7 s7 t" s13. Small EU bureaucracy (24,000 employees, fewer than the BBC) ( c' R4 j, g! z- j( {# L. J7 O ; D, ~) [" `0 w- Y% |3 U' aDespite the eurosceptic claims, the number of EU officials is surprisingly small. After the scandal of 1999 when the Brussels based European Commission resigned, strict new rules were imposed on spending. - M& P4 `. z r2 @5 {/ w2 A1 Z( L! W! x- k4 O5 M- h5 g% J
14. Making the French eat British beef again; p4 S% ?9 ]% P' K
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When the BSE crisis subsided and British meat was judged safe, the European Court of Justice ordered France to resume imports. France contested the ruling but had no alternative in the end. By contrast, the US retains an embargo. 2 b/ `' H! j/ t8 R% ^8 m0 b' W: }8 ]: _# u3 b
15. Minority languages, like Irish, Welsh and Catalan recognised and protected 6 G8 ]- \. I$ }( _9 d) c8 r, D, ^; k6 s0 B: M$ \. y- ]7 r% w7 Q7 h
Minority languages are gaining recognition. Be it Irish, Welsh or Catalan, minority languages are getting a greater role thanks to the EU which even has a Commissioner for Multilingualism. Irish became an official language of the EU this year. Catalans have lesser language rights because their tongue is official only in one part of Spain, their member states. The EU - with 23 official languages - is doing more to keep lesser tongues alive than some individual member states. , w4 M; T. G/ K1 W1 Q- h2 t; ?5 o% Z& c4 o' G
16. Europe is helping to save the planet with regulatory cuts in CO2: ]; k7 L) X/ ~; t$ Z( f
3 W- h" l$ h# b8 sThe EU has announced the most ambitious targets for curbing carbon emissions, promising a cut of at least one-fifth on 1990 levels by 2020. Other parts of the world are being challenged to follow suit. The EU also has blazed a trail with its carbon emissions trading system which, despite teething troubles, is still a model for other parts of the world.. {! @$ a2 r1 v8 h+ _. M E
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17. One currency from Bantry to Berlin (but not Britain) 4 z0 x7 S( e0 R% d " G" v# c: G1 CThe Euro is now the only real alternative to the dollar on the international stage. You can travel throughout 13 countries and use one currency. Slovenia became the 13th and latest nation to join the single currency this year. Several more nations have yet to meet the necessary criteria.9 d" v# [) a2 d$ W+ Z
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18. Europe wide bans on tyrants like Robert Mugabe5 h7 m. w, ~5 e5 @! L6 o G v
* i0 r9 o6 p: lSmart sanctions on the Zimbabwean President and his cronies have been negotiated through the EU and prevent those on a list from visiting all 27 nations. Though countries differ in the way they believe the EU should treat the government in Harare, they all agreed to renew the sanctions for another year.( Q( v0 o+ o, z* g ?8 a/ K' S3 T- \
$ w& f0 g ]" E7 O! F19. The EU gives twice as much aid to developing countries as the US ( t8 K* u% F/ d' f2 @ L- [* ^7 L3 z+ UThe European Union and its member states paid out more than
4 s* h3 k8 ]' ` X 9 y/ x% l8 d4 t! KNeue Zwei-Euro-Münze ab Montag 2 U$ e' ?& T. b! @2 _% @7 _50 Jahre "Vertrag von Rom" und neue EU-Landkarte als Neuerungen - Auflage: Neun Millionen Stück . b: K; X2 l7 b; ?6 Y 2 @) l1 N" K0 H) F! sWien - Bitte, nicht erschrecken: Wer ab kommenden Montag (26. März) eine Zwei-Euro-Münze in seinem Geldbörsel findet, auf dem ein Buch, ein Stern und die Aufschrift "Vertrag von Rom - 50 Jahre" abgebildet sind, der kann diese ruhig ausgeben oder sammeln. Es handelt sich nämlich nicht um eine Fälschung, sondern um die neueste Euro-Ausgabe des Jahres 2007, auf dem auch die EU-Landkarte aktualisiert wurde. $ q# N$ f4 _% E$ z
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Wie schon im Jahr 2005, als das Jubiläum "50 Jahre Staatsvertrag" die Rückseite der Zwei-Euro zierte, muss auch 2007 das Standard-Motiv mit Bertha von Suttner einem speziellen Anlass weichen. Mit dem Unterschied, dass es sich diesmal nicht um eine rein österreichische Ausgabe handelt, sondern um eine europaweite Gemeinschaftsaktion. , ^* X' Y; }$ O9 G $ b6 m* t2 A: {Die nationalen Seiten der Münzen zeigen den am 25. März 1957 von den sechs Gründungsmitgliedern unterzeichneten Vertrag, der vor allem die Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft (EWG) begründete, aus der später die Europäische Union wurde. Den Hintergrund bildet Michelangelos sternförmiges Bodenmosaik vom Capitols-Platz in Rom. Über dem Vertragswerk ist auf der Münze das Wort "Europa" in der jeweiligen Landessprache zu lesen. Oberhalb des Gesamtmotivs erscheinen der Ausgabeanlass, unterhalb das Ausgabeland in der jeweiligen Sprachfassung sowie die Jahreszahl 2007. 2 {! u" {' h4 N3 D+ S R- {% U3 A. u L+ l
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Außerdem tragen alle Zwei-Euro-Stücke bereits die neue gemeinsame Wertseite, die das um die Staaten Bulgarien und Rumänien erweiterte EU-Territorium als Landkarte zeigt. In Österreich und einigen anderen Ländern sind die modifizierten Kartendarstellungen sonst erst ab den Ausgaben 2008 vorgesehen. Die heimische Version der Jubiläumsausgabe wurde in einer Auflage von neun Millionen Stück geprägt. 6 i: _! W$ `) ]9 F* N
4 @; h+ ^, ~4 w. _Entstanden ist das Sieger-Motiv im Rahmen eines Design-Wettbewerbes in Wien, an dem neben österreichischen Künstlern auch Vertreter der spanischen, italienischen und französischen Münzstätten teilgenommen hatten. Übrigens: Mit dem neuen "Zweier" kann man selbstverständlich in allen Euro-Ländern bezahlen, auch an der Gültigkeit der bisherigen Zwei-Euro-Münzen ändert sich natürlich nichts. (APA)