EEC Association Agreement

On 9 July 1961, Greece signed an association agreement with the European Economic Community, known as the EEC, the forerunner of the European Union, in Athens. Greece was the first country to sign such an agreement with the EEC, which had been founded in 1957 by six Western European countries. The agreement was championed by Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, who believed that closer ties with Western Europe would strengthen Greek democracy, modernize the economy and secure Greece's place in the West. It came into force in 1962 and set out a gradual path toward a customs union and eventual full membership. It gradually removed trade barriers, opened European markets to Greek farm products and provided development aid. The agreement supported the rapid economic growth of the 1960s. However, after the military coup of 1967, the EEC froze the agreement, suspending aid and further steps toward integration, in protest against the dictatorship. After democracy was restored in 1974, the agreement was reactivated, and Greece applied for full membership, becoming a member in 1981.