More than a quarter of a century has passed since Greece's accession to the European Community/European Union (1981-2007). Clearly, both the European Union and Greece have changed significantly during this period.

Today, the European Union consists of 27 member states, compared to the European Community of 1981 which had only 10. This fact alone radically alters the identity and functioning of the Union.

This volume includes reformulated and/or rewritten contributions from all the politicians and academic professors who participated in the Conference of the Greek Academic Association for European Studies (GAAES), in November 2006, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Greece's accession to the EU.

These contributions refer to almost all the impacts of our country's twenty-five-year participation in the EU: from the adaptation to the community acquis and its effects on foreign policy to the impacts on the economy, society, and the political system of the country.

At the same time, they attempt to assess the future course of Greece within the new realities of the Europe of 27.