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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, January 2, 1981
Page 9
of the equation. The per capita GNP of Greece is less than half that of
the community as a whole, though its growth rate has been faster. Its
standard of living is roughly the same as the Nine's poorest state, Ireland.
But the gap between rich and poor, between urban and rural, is much more
pronounced. (Incidently, poverty-ridden Turkey's GNP is about a third that
of Greece, less than 1/7 that of the EC as a whole.)
Yet, Greece does have its attractive points for the Brussels-based Nine
turned-Ten. By virtue of her membership alone, the Common Market's share
of world shipping increases by 50%--from 20% of the world's share to 30%.
Greece's vast fleet of 4,000 ships totals 40 million gross tons--the
largest fleet in the world. This is especially significant in view of
the prophecies in Ezekiel 27 and Revelation 18 concerning an end-time
global political-economic power.
The southern expansion of the Common Market also means that Mediterranean
type agricultural products become very significant. "Until now," reports
Europe, a semi-official publication of the EC, (July-August 1979 issue),
"the Community has been dominated by north ern European economic interests,
especially those of cereal and dairy farmers. In the future, much more
attention will be paid to the interests of Mediterranean wine, citrus, and
olive oil producers." Note the specific reference to both wine and oil in
Revelation 18:13 (and also the importance of these two products in Revela
tion 6:6). The German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, June 14, 1980, also
commented on the inclusion of the three wine-oil producers (Greece, Spain,
Portugal) : "The wine surplus resulting from the three new members is likely
to amount to between 5 and 10 million hektoliters a year. But this problem
is not as grave as that posed by Spanish olive oil, the production of which
involves two million farmers."
The EC's newest member, however, brings along a few liabilities. Greece's
industry is predominantly small scale, most of it consisting of only one to
four people. For this reason, industry will have a five-year grace period
to adjust to the EC tariff structure and expected competition. On the
other hand, Greece will get an immediate windfall from the EC's higher
prices for many farm products.
Many Greeks are philosophical about the changes and challenges. Noted one
newspaperwoman: "Greeks have a great talent for survival...for better or
worse, Greece becomes a part of an affluent, civilized, respectable family.
For the first time in her long and troubled history....Why not accept the
challenge? What have we to lose?"
Nevertheless, Greece's entry certainly complicates the Community's linguis
tic and decision-making processes. Greece now becomes the EC's seventh
official language (with Spanish and Portuguese looming just ahead). Notes
the Europe article, quoted earlier: "One of the biggest organizational
changes involves the interpreters and translators who already account for
one-third of the total staff employed at the EC Cornmission....All official
documents will have to be translated into Greek, and Greek interpreters
will be needed at all major meetings. As it stands now, the Greek govern
ment has only 120 official translators. Yet it will need 650 just to trans
late EC documents and regulations concerning Greece.
This literal ''Babylon" is bad enough. Each new country only complicates
the political process of the Community. As Europe comments on this prob
lem: "The addition of Greece as the tenth member state will put extra
steam on the Community's decision-making process. The EC Council of