Accession of Greece to the European Community / Union 28.5.1979

The stamps on this fdc depict:

(7) Greece’s entry into European Economic Community and Parliament: Wheat with Members’ Flags and ancient Greek coins.

(30) European Parliament.

Greece's European orientation predates the linking of the country's course to its accession to the European Community / Union.  However, the orientation became concrete upon submission of the application for accession to the newly established European Economic Community in June 1959, an application that led to the Association Agreement between Greece and the EEC, signed in June 1961.  This Agreement, which in fact constituted the first step towards Greece's integration into the European Community, "froze" following the imposition of dictatorship in Greece (April 1967) and was re-activated after democracy was restored (July 1974).

The Greek Government and Constantinos Caramanlis in particular, aimed at integrating the country into the European Union as a full member.  Indeed, the application for full accession was submitted on July 12, 1975, by means of a letter addressed to the President at that time of the European Union Ministerial Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ireland,  G. Fitzgerald