VEŘEJNÁ SPRÁVA | TÝDENÍK VLÁDY ČESKÉ REPUBLIKY |
číslo 15 |
Brush Up Your English |
It is perhaps fitting that the European Union's most important developments tend to occur when no one is paying attention. The latest such development was the draft EU constitution; the distraction was Iraq. The document's creation in the spring was overshadowed by the onset of war, and its tentative dismissal came days ago, in the hours following Saddam Hussein's capture.
failure – zklamání, selhání reason – důvod perhaps – snad, asi to fit – hodit se, pasovat to tend – mít tendenci to occur –stát se to pay attention – dávat pozor draft – návrh EU constitution – ústava Evropské Unie distraction – rozptýlení, odvrácení pozornosti to overshadow – zastínit (shadow – stín) onset – začátek tentative – předběžný, prozatímní dismissal – zamítnutí capture - zajetí
The background to the flap is simple.
In December 2000, in anticipation of the EU's enlargement from 15 to 25 members, the existing and future member states agreed to reallocate national votes on the Council of Ministers, the EU's legislative body. While the agreement continued the tradition of granting disproportionate representation to the smaller member states, the degree of disproportion was substantially increased. Most notably, whereas Germany received 29 Council votes, Spain and Poland, each with half of Germany's population, received 27 votes apiece.
background – pozadí flap – zmatek, rozčilení, jednání enlargement – rozšíření future – budoucí to reallocate – přeadresovat vote – volba, hlas, hlasování Council of Ministers – Rada ministrů body – organ while – zatímco to continue – pokračovat to grant – udělit degree – stupeň
substantially – podstatně to increase – zvýšit, rozšířit
notably – význačně, pozoruhodně whereas – zatímco apiece – každý
The draft Constitution introduced this past summer proposed a further reallocation of Council votes. The system it envisioned - which sought to both simplify the voting process and reduce the imbalance in representation - provided that legislation would pass with a majority of member states representing at least 60 percent of the Union's population. Not surprisingly, Spain and Poland objected to the provision. Also not surprisingly, France and Germany insisted on it (or a version of it). Ultimately, the parties' failure to negotiate a compromise to this single issue has put the entire constitutional project on hold.
to introduce – představit, předložit to propose – navrhovat further – další (nepravidelný :far, further, furthest) to envision – v duchu vidět, předvídat sought – minulý čas od to seek (hledat) both…and – jak…tak to simplify – zjednodušit to reduce – snížit provided – za předpokladu to pass – projít (při hlasování) majority – většina at least – přinejmenším
surprisingly – překvapivě to object – namítat provision – ustanovení, opatření to insist – trvat ultimately – konečně, nakonec to negotiate – vyjednat issue – problém, otázka to put sth on hold – pozdržet co
Připravuje Markéta Frýbová