II. Answer the following questions.
1. What positive changes has Spain experienced since its entrance the European Union?
2. What can you say about the influence of membership on Spanish industry and agriculture?
3. What economic problems still exist in Spain?
4. What is Spain worried about?
5. What is the most famous Spanish product?
6. What is the significance of olive oil for Spain?
7. What position has Spanish government taken?
III. Complete the sentences with suitable words from the box.
gap in income levels, inflow of funds, heavy spending, to introduce national quotas, to underpin, budget ceiling, gross domestic product, interim plan, producer, viable, entitlement
1. Improved roads and the high-speed railways provide the most obvious sign of the benefits Spain has derived from the …in the years of EU membership.
2. The country still needs … on infrastructure to enable it to compete in the single currency zone.
3. Now, as the EU has incorporated much poorer countries in central Europe, the concept of solidarity which has … Spain's early period of membership is set for radical change.
4. Spain’s worries focus on the treatment of Mediterranean agricultural products, tighter conditions for aid, and the overall … of 1.27 per cent of … .
5. The first crunch in the planned farm reforms is an … for the olive sector.
6. Spain is the world's biggest … of olive oil.
7. For many areas olives are the only … crop.
8. Officials say they accept that Spain's net receipts will fall, but argue that this should come from higher Spanish contributions rather than reduced … .
9. However, the … between Spain and the rest of the EU has narrowed only slowly.
10. A two-year delay has been granted before the adoption of a definitive system, with a temporary arrangement … .
IV. Fill in the blanks with articles if needed.
However, ... - gap in ... income levels between ... Spain and ... rest of ... EU has narrowed only slowly — from about 70 per cent of ... average when it joined in 1986 to just under 78 percent.
Now, аз ... EU prepares to incorporate much poorer countries in ... central Europe, ... concept of ... solidarity which has underpinned ... Spam's early period of... membership is set for ... radical change.
... first crunch in ... planned farm reforms is ... interim plan for ... olive sector, due to come into ... force in ... November, issue has ... big social dimension.
two-year delay has been granted before ... adoption of ... definitive system, with ... temporary arrangement introducing ... national quotas for ... first time among ... five EU producers — ... Spain, ... Italy, .., Greece, ... Portugal and ... France — instead of... overall maximum.
Us entitlement to ... top category of ... regional funds, which currently covers most of ... country, stands to be reduced by ... fifth as ... Valencia region and possibly ... northern region of ... Cantabria move above ... qualifying threshold of 75 per cent of... average income.
Spain,... dominant beneficiary, has received EU 593 bn from ... fund so far.
V. Fill in the blanks with prepositions if needed.
They also provide the most obvious sign ... the benefits Spain has derived ... the inflow ... funds ... the years ... EU membership.
The country still needs heavy spending ... infrastructure to enable it to compete ... the single currency zone, and the southern regions of Andalucia and Extremadura make up the EU's biggest unemployment blackspot, ... an official rate close ... 30 per cent.
Spain's worries focus ... the treatment ... Mediterranean agricultural products, tighter conditions ... aid, and the overall budget ceiling ... 1.27 per cent ... gross domestic product, which it argues should not be set ... stone.
But the idea ... switching ... a system ... aid per tree is anathema ... Spanish producers, whose arguments are backed ... regional and central government authorities.
About 140,000 people are reckoned to work ... least part ... the year ... the business ... Andalucia alone, and ... many areas olives are the only viable crop.