首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
The European Union’s Barcelona summit, which ended on March 16th, was played out against the usual backdrop of noisy "anti-globa
The European Union’s Barcelona summit, which ended on March 16th, was played out against the usual backdrop of noisy "anti-globa
admin
2009-04-26
53
问题
The European Union’s Barcelona summit, which ended on March 16th, was played out against the usual backdrop of noisy "anti-globalization" demonstrations and massive security. If nothing else, the demonstrations illustrated that economic liberalization in Europe—the meeting’s main topic—presents genuine political difficulties. Influential sections of public opinion continue to oppose anything that they imagine threatens "social Europe", the ideal of a cradle-to-grave welfare state.
In this climate of public opinion, it is not surprising that the outcome in Barcelona was modest. The totemic issue was opening up Europe’s energy markets. The French government has fought hard to preserve a protected market at home for its state-owned national champion, Electricite de France (EDF). At Barcelona it made a well-flagged tactical retreat. The summiteers concluded that from 2004 industrial users across Europe would be able to choose from competing energy suppliers, which should account for "at least" 60% of the market.
Since Europe’s energy market is worth 350 billion ($309 billion) a year and affects just about every business, this is a breakthrough. But even the energy deal has disappointing aspects. Confining competition to business users makes it harder to show that economic liberalization is the friend rather than the foe of the ordinary person. It also allows EDF to keep its monopoly in the most profitable chunk of the French market.
In other areas, especially to do with Europe’s tough labor markets, the EU is actually going backwards. The summiteers declared that "disincentives against taking up jobs" should be removed; 20m jobs should be created within the EU by 2010. But only three days after a Barcelona jamboree, the European Commission endorsed a new law that would give all temporary-agency workers the same rights as full-timers within six weeks of getting their feet under the desk. Six out of 20 commissioners did, unusually, vote against the measure—a blatant piece of re-regulation—but the social affairs commissioner, Anna Diamantopoulou, was unrepentant, indeed triumphant. A dissatisfied liberaliser in the commission called the directive "an absolute disaster".
The summit’s other achievements are still more fragile. Europe’s leaders promised to increase spending on "research and development" from its current figure of 1.9% of GDP a year to 3%. But how will European politicians compel businesses to invest more in research? Nobody seems to know. And the one big research project agreed on at Barcelona, the Galileo satellite-positioning system, which is supposed to cost 3.2 billion of public money, is of dubious commercial value, since the Europeans already enjoy free access to the Americans’ GPA system. Edward Bannerman, head of economics at the Centre for European Reform, a Blairite think-tank, calls Galileo "the common agricultural policy in space".
选项
A、A review of EU’s Barcelona summit.
B、About merits of a EU’s summit.
C、A survey of Europe’s competitors.
D、About the achievements of the EU.
答案
A
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/EYi4777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
Themainideaofthefirstparagraphisthat______.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUE?
Whichofthefollowingcanbethebesttitleofthispassage?Thereasonwhythebraincellsofthepersonwhobothsmokesand
Theauthorthinksthatpullfactors______.Peoplemovingwithincountrybordersareoftenmotivatedbythedesireto______.
WhichofthefollowingbestdescribestheAmerica’seconomicsituation?Whatistheauthor’sattitudetowardsomerecentfigure
Thefactthathehasmadeaseriousmistakedoesnot______yourtreatinghimthatway.
Britain’sCabinetOfficereleasedasweepingreportonthecountry’sfoodpolicy,anddeterminedthatBritonsarewastingtoomu
OlympicGamesareheldeveryfouryearsatadifferentsite,inwhichathletes【1】differentnationscompeteagainsteachotherin
HenricIbsen,authoroftheplay"ADoll’sHouse",inwhichapretty,helplesshousewifeabandonsherhusbandandchildrentose
ManyAmericansregardthejurysystemasaconcreteexpressionofcrucialdemocraticvalues,includingtheprinciplesthatallc
Shouldaleaderstrivetobelovedorfeared?Thisquestion,famouslyposedbyMachiavelli,liesattheheartofJosephNye’sne
随机试题
________指通过调动增加员工的阅历,锻炼员工的综合能力并发挥员工的潜力,从而在职位未提升的情况下增加员工的满意感。
全口义齿基托的哪部分影响患者的面容
依照《继承法》的规定,下列人员中能够作为遗嘱见证人的是()。
中心地理论的基本内容包括()。
向参与网下配售的询价对象配售的,公开发行股票数量少于4亿股的,配售数量不超过本次发行总量的()。
人口因素在社会发展中的作用是可以()。
好的小说应该是可读性、艺术性和思想性的完美结合,比如大仲马的小说,之所有流行百年而不衰,就是因为有着______________的故事情节和高超的写作技巧以及深刻的思想内容。
美国最近一次的民意测验结果表明公众以80%对17%反对放松现存的关于空气污染的法规。而且,没有一个主要公众阶层想放宽环境法。这次投票的结果显示出立法者将通过投票支持更新空气洁净法,可以在不疏远任何有影响力的特殊利益集团的同时对公众议员做出回应。以下哪项对评
甲因男友乙不忠而生恨意,决定杀乙。某日,甲把乙引到家中,将一瓶安眠药(50片)掺入咖啡让乙喝下。乙在甲的床上昏睡,甲离家到附近一座山上打算自杀。甲在山上犹豫、徘徊了一昼夜,心生悔意,急忙回家,发现乙已经被人送往医院抢救,未死。甲大喜过望。对甲( )。
设关系R和关系S具有相同的目,且相应的属性取自同一个域。则表达式{t|ttR}定义的关系代数运算是
最新回复
(
0
)