Accession of Greece to the European Communities

Accession of Greece to the European Communities was the process whereby the Hellenic Republic joined the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) on 1 January 1981. It marked the first enlargement of the European Communities since the 1973 accession of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. This integration followed a lengthy period of political transition in Greece and complex negotiations, solidifying the country's post-dictatorship alignment with Western Europe and its democratic institutions.

Background and historical context

The relationship between Greece and the nascent European integration project began early, with Greece becoming an associate member of the European Economic Community in 1961 through the Treaty of Athens. This agreement, negotiated by the government of Konstantinos Karamanlis, envisioned a gradual path to full membership. However, this process was abruptly frozen following the military coup d'état of 21 April 1967, which established a right-wing dictatorship. The European Commission and member states like France and West Germany maintained a critical stance toward the Regime of the Colonels. After the regime's collapse following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the restoration of democracy under Konstantinos Karamanlis and his New Democracy party, the new government swiftly reactivated the membership bid in 1974, viewing European Communities accession as a crucial anchor for Greek democracy and modernization.

Negotiation process

Formal negotiations for full membership commenced on 27 July 1976 in Brussels, with the European Commission delegation led by Wilhelm Haferkamp. The Greek team was headed by Georgios Kontogeorgis. Key contentious issues included the lengthy transition periods requested by existing members for Greek agricultural products, such as peaches, tomatoes, and tobacco, to protect farmers in Italy and France. Other major points of negotiation were the integration of Greek merchant shipping into the common transport policy and the special protocols concerning relations with Cyprus. Despite these challenges, the political will for enlargement was strong, driven by a desire to consolidate democracy in southern Europe, a sentiment shared by leaders like Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt.

Treaty of Accession 1979

The Treaty of Accession 1979 was signed in a formal ceremony at the Zappeion Hall in Athens on 28 May 1979. The signatories included Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis for Greece and the heads of state or government of the nine member states, including James Callaghan of the United Kingdom and Leo Tindemans of Belgium. The treaty comprised the main text, 17 annexes, 25 protocols, and several final acts. It outlined a five-year transitional period for most economic sectors, with some extensions to seven years for sensitive agricultural items. The treaty was subsequently ratified by the Hellenic Parliament and all national parliaments of the European Communities, culminating in Greece's official accession on 1 January 1981.

Economic and political implications

Accession had profound economic and political consequences for Greece. Politically, it irrevocably tied the country to the Western Bloc during the Cold War, enhancing its geopolitical stability. Membership required significant legislative harmonization, influencing reforms in areas from industrial standards to VAT collection. Economically, Greece gained access to substantial structural funds and the Common Agricultural Policy, which provided new income streams for its rural sector. However, it also exposed inefficient domestic industries to Community competition, creating initial economic dislocation. The move was broadly supported by major political forces, including the opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) led by Andreas Papandreou, despite his earlier critical rhetoric.

Integration and subsequent developments

Following accession, Greece participated in its first European Parliament election in 1981 and assumed its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in 1983. Full economic integration was achieved by the end of the transition periods in 1986. Greece's membership later proved pivotal in shaping European Union policies toward the Balkans and in advocating for the accession of Cyprus. It also became a member of the European Monetary System and, later, a founding member of the Eurozone on 1 January 2001, adopting the euro in 2002. The accession of Greece is widely seen as the precursor to the broader Mediterranean enlargements that included Spain and Portugal.

Category:Accession of Greece to the European Union Category:1979 in Greece Category:1979 in the European Economic Community Category:Treaties of Greece