Spain joined the European Economic Community in 1986 together with which neighbouring country?

The correct answer is Portugal, since both Spain and Portugal formally joined the European Economic Community on 1 January 1986, marking the Community's third enlargement and extending its membership fully into the Iberian Peninsula for the first time. Both countries had emerged from long periods of authoritarian rule during the twentieth century, Spain under Francisco Franco until 1975 and Portugal under the Estado Novo regime until 1974, and their accession to the EEC symbolised democratic consolidation and closer integration with Western European economic and political structures. This joint accession is frequently referenced in questions about the European Union's historical expansion timeline, alongside the founding six members of 1957 (France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and earlier enlargements such as the 1973 entry of the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark. Among the distractors, France was already one of the six founding members from 1957 and therefore could not have 'joined' alongside Spain in 1986, making this a straightforward but temptingly familiar wrong answer for students who associate France closely with European integration. Andorra, a microstate nestled between Spain and France in the Pyrenees, has never been a full EEC or European Union member at all, despite its geographic proximity to both accession countries, making it a plausible-sounding but factually incorrect option. Italy, like France, was a founding member in 1957 and thus could not have joined during the 1986 enlargement round. A common exam confusion is assuming any large or nearby European country could have joined alongside Spain, without checking whether that country was already a founding or earlier member. The revision takeaway: Spain and Portugal jointly acceded to the EEC in 1986, the Community's third enlargement, distinct from the 1957 founders and the 1973 first enlargement.