Glossary of Institutions, policies and enlargement of the European Union
(Starting with "N")
©
European Communities, 1995-2007
http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/index_en.htm
Become a member of TranslationDirectory.com at just
$12 per month (paid per year)
Advertisements:
Use the search bar to look for terms in all glossaries, dictionaries, articles and other resources simultaneously
'New-look'
NATO
'New-look' NATO refers to the process
of redefining the organisation's role and operation.
The key aspects involved are the recognition of a
European defence identity, the strengthening of the
European component of the transatlantic security system,
the new role of the WEU, and the prospect of the eastward
enlargement of NATO.
This will be accompanied by a deepening
of NATO's relations with third countries through partnerships
for peace and the North Atlantic Cooperation Council.
A major challenge in this connection is that of establishing
a sound, stable and sustainable partnership with Russia
and Ukraine.
See:
[ Back
]
NATO (North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
(NATO, or the Atlantic Alliance) was founded by the
North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Treaty of
Washington, signed on 4 April 1949, and has its headquarters
in Brussels. It currently has 26 members, following
successive enlargements:
- 1949 (12 founding members): Belgium,
Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom,
the United States;
- February 1952: Greece and Turkey;
- May 1955: the Federal Republic
of Germany;
- May 1982: Spain;
- March 1999: the Czech Republic,
Hungary and Poland;
- March 2004: Bulgaria, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The EU's policy respects the NATO
obligations of the Member States concerned and the
common security and defence policy is determined within
this framework.
See:
[ Back
]
National
parliaments
The Conference of European Community
Affairs Committees (COSAC), consisting of representatives
from relevant committees of the national parliaments
and Members of the European Parliament, has met every
six months since 1989.
With the entry into force of the Maastricht
Treaty in 1993, the European Union acquired competence
in areas which had traditionally been a national preserve,
such as justice and home affairs. For this reason,
the importance of exchanges between national parliaments
and the European Parliament was underlined in a declaration
on the role of national parliaments in the European
Union.
In this declaration appended to the
Maastricht Treaty, the national governments were asked
to ensure that their parliaments received Commission
proposals in good time for information or possible
examination. The declaration also recommended that
contacts between the European Parliament and the national
parliaments should be stepped up in order to make
it easier for the national parliaments to be involved
in the Community process and to exercise better democratic
control.
Under the Treaty of Amsterdam, a Protocol
on the role of national parliaments was annexed to
the Treaty on European Union. It stipulates that all
Commission consultation documents (green and white
papers and communications) must be promptly forwarded
to the national parliaments.
The national parliaments have a period
of six weeks to discuss a legislative proposal, from
the date when the Commission makes it available to
the European Parliament and the Council up to the
date when it is placed on the Council's agenda.
COSAC now also has the right to submit
to the Union institutions any contributions which
it deems appropriate and to examine any proposal for
a legislative instrument relating to the establishment
of the area of freedom, security and justice which
might have a direct bearing on the rights and freedoms
of individuals.
The European Constitution, which is
in the process of ratification, envisages a greater
role for national parliaments in the working of the
European Union. The transparency of Council proceedings
will in particular make it easier for national parliaments
to monitor their government's position on the topics
on the agenda. Furthermore, the introduction of the
early-warning system for compliance with the subsidiarity
principle will give them a direct means of influencing
the legislative process. The system will ensure that
they are informed about every new Commission initiative.
If a third of national parliaments believe that a
proposal infringes the subsidiarity principle, the
Commission will be compelled to reconsider it.
See:
[ Back
]
Natura
2000
Natura 2000 is a set of areas in the
Member States in which plant and animal species and
their habitats must be protected. Protection arrangements
are laid down by the "Birds Directive" (1979) and
the "Habitats Directive" (1992).
Community legislation lists the species
of fauna and flora and the habitats that are of special
interest because of their rarity or vulnerability,
and especially the species and habitats at risk of
extinction. Following proposals from the Member States,
the Commission designates areas for protection of
these species and habitats, classified under seven
biogeographical regions of the EU (Alpine, Atlantic,
Boreal, Continental, Macaronesian, Mediterranean and
Pannonian).
The network comprises Special Protection
Areas (SPAs) for the conservation of over 180 bird
species and sub-species and Special Areas of Conservation
(SACs) for the conservation of over 250 types of habitat,
200 animal species and over 430 plant species. Natura
2000 today accounts for over 20% of the land area
of the EU.
The Member States are responsible
for managing these areas and must ensure conservation
of the species and habitats designated by Community
law. While human activities, such as farming, are
still authorised within these areas, they must be
compatible with the aim of conservation.
See:
[ Back
]
Neighbourhood
Policy
The European Neighbourhood Policy
(ENP) seeks to establish special relations with the
neighbouring countries in Eastern Europe, the Southern
Mediterranean and the Southern Caucasus for which
accession is not in prospect. It was instituted as
early as 2003 to share the benefits of enlargement
with the neighbouring countries and avoid the emergence
of new divisions, and forms part of the European security
strategy.
The ENP focuses promoting democracy,
freedom, prosperity, security and stability while
building on existing relations with the various neighbouring
countries. However, the establishment of such special
relations depends on a mutual interest in upholding
common values: democracy, the rule of law, human rights,
good governance, the principles of a market economy
and sustainable development.
The policy is put into effect by means
of bilateral action plans reflecting the needs of
the neighbour concerned and the reciprocal interests
of that country and the Union. These plans set out
an agenda for a period of three to five years, covering
political and economic reforms, closer alignment of
legislation with that of the Community, participation
in certain Community programmes and the development
or strengthening of cooperation and dialogue.
The pre-ENP bilateral agreements serve
as a framework for pursuing the policy. The neighbouring
countries also benefit from financial and technical
assistance, mainly through the European Neighbourhood
and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) for the period 2007
- 2013 (replacing the TACIS and MEDA programmes from
2000 to 2006).
See:
[ Back
]
Non-discrimination
principle
The aim of this principle is to ensure
equality of treatment for individuals irrespective
of nationality, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion
or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
Article 12 of the EC Treaty outlaws
any discrimination on the grounds of nationality.
Under the Treaty of Amsterdam a new Article 13 has
been written into the EC Treaty to reinforce the guarantee
of non-discrimination laid down in the Treaties and
extend it to the other cases cited above.
As regards measures to combat discrimination,
the European Constitution, currently in the process
of being ratified, provides for the EU's powers to
be extended to enable it to lay down the "basic principles"
underpinning incentive measures in this field.
See:
[ Back
]
Find free glossaries at TranslationDirectory.com
Find free dictionaries at TranslationDirectory.com
Subscribe to free TranslationDirectory.com newsletter
Need more translation jobs from translation agencies? Click here!
Translation agencies are welcome to register here - Free!
Freelance translators are welcome to register here - Free!
Submit your glossary or dictionary for publishing at TranslationDirectory.com
|