1981 1st January
Greece Joins European Communities
Heads the government when Greece becomes the tenth member of the European Communities.
European integration · permanent subject timeline
Greece Joins the EEC, 1981
The second enlargement of the European Communities. This page combines historical context with 7 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database EEC archive.
Historical context
Greece Joins the EEC, 1981: overview and significance
What happened?
Greece became the tenth member of the European Communities on 1 January 1981 after the restoration and consolidation of democratic government.
Why was it important?
Greek accession extended the Community into southeastern Europe and established enlargement as a way of supporting democratic consolidation.
World History Database records
Greece Joins the EEC, 1981 timeline
The records below are selected from the 936-record EEC and European integration archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1981
1981 1st January
Greek EEC Membership Takes Effect
Serves as president when Greece enters the European Communities as their tenth member state.
1983
1983 1st July
First Greek EEC Presidency
Papandreou takes the Community chair as Greece assumes responsibility for its first six-month Council Presidency.
1988
1988 1st July
Second Greek EEC Presidency
Greece returns to the Council chair under Papandreou, giving Athens responsibility for steering the Community agenda through December.
1992
1992 6th November
Treaty of Schengen
During the Schengen process, Dumas approves the Greek accession instruments signed in Madrid. Paris also emphasises effective controls at the Schengen area's external frontier.
1992 6th November
Greek Accession to Schengen
Heads the Greek government when Greece signs agreements to accede to the Schengen framework.
1992 6th November
Greek Accession to Schengen
Represents Greece as it signs accession instruments connected with the Schengen agreements.
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database EEC records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
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