The European Union

1. Treaty of Rome (1957)

1957

The Treaty of Rome established the EEC and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) - the foundation for what would become the European Union

2. Greece joins the European Communities (1981)

1981

Greece became a member of the European Communities

3. Maastricht Treaty (1992)

1992

The Maastricht Treaty officially established the European Union as an economic and monetary union opening the way to the creation of the euro currency

4. Greece adopts the euro (2001)

2001

Greece adopted the euro currency, becoming one of the initial 12 countries to do so

5. Greece holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (2003)

2003

As a member state, Greece held the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2003. The presidency rotates among member states every six months.