Greece into Market

Press, 22 December 1978, Page 5

Greece into Market

NZPA-Reuter Brussels Greece and the Common Market have reached agreement on the terms of Greek accession to the nine-nation European Community after more than two years of negotiations. After an all-night negotiating session, the two sides announced that they had settled outstanding differences on the length of Greece’s transition to full E.E.C. membership. The West German Foreign Minister (Mr Hans-Dietrich Genscher), who chaired a meeting of E.E.C. and Greek Ministers, told a news conference: “We have arrived at the breakthrough that we hoped for for so long.”

There had earlier been wide differences between the two sides on the key issues of Greece’s transition period for agricultural products and free movement of its workers in the Community.

But in the final hours of the talks it was clear that both sides had made important concessions.

The Greek Minister for E.E.C. Relations (Mr George Kontogeorgis) said that the list of agricultural products on which the transition period will be longer than five years was narrowed to include only tomato paste and peaches. These will have a seven-year transition. The E.E.C. side had earlier pressed for the seven-year period on many other products to protect Italian and French Mediterranean farmers from Greek competition. He said he hoped that Greece would sign its act of accession to the Community as soon as possible. It is expected that it could become the tenth Common Market member in 1981.

The Greek Foreign Minister (Mr George Rallis), tired but smiling after the negotiating marathon, told the news conference: “December 21 will represent for Greece its first step on a new road which will be important in the destiny of the Greek people — a people which has suffered so much.”