Special member state territories and their relations with the European Union
Encyclopedia
Several European Union member states have special territories which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside of the European Union
. These statuses range from no or limited derogation from EU policies, limited inclusion in EU policies or none at all. Most of the territories which are outside the EU nonetheless enjoy a special relationship with the EU.
applies to these territories with possible derogations to take account of their "structural social and economic situation ... which is compounded by their remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, economic dependence on a few products, the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their development ...". There were initially seven outermost regions, as established by the EC Treaty, but the Treaty of Lisbon
included two additional territories, both of which seceded from one of the original outermost regions.
and Madeira
are two groups of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic. While derogations from the application of EU law could apply, none do. Their VAT is lower than the rest of Portugal, but they are not outside the European Union Value Added Tax Area
.
are a Spanish
archipelago
off the African coast which forms one of the Spanish Autonomous Communities, thus having the status of being part of Spanish territory. They are outside the European Union Value Added Tax Area
. The Canary Islands are the most populated and economically strongest territory of all the outermost regions in the European Union. The outermost regions office for support and information is located in these islands, in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
(Gran Canaria
).
, Guadeloupe
, Martinique
, and Réunion
are four French overseas departments which under French law are, for the most part, treated as integral parts of the Republic. Each also forms a French overseas region. The euro
is legal tender and they are part of the European Union Customs Union
. However they are outside the Schengen area
and the VAT area
.
A fifth French Overseas Department, Mayotte
, was created on 31 March 2011 when its status was changed from being a overseas collectivity. While Mayotte is currently an overseas country or territory, it is due to become an overseas region and thus part of the EU on 1 January 2014.
and Saint Martin
were broken away from the French overseas department of Guadeloupe
to be formed into two new overseas collectivities. As a consequence their status was unclear for a time. While a report issued by the French parliament suggested that both islands remained within the EU as outermost regions, European Commission documents listed them as being outside the European Community. The legal status of the islands was clarified on the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty
which lists them as outermost regions.
In October 2010 the French government announced that Saint Barthélémy would cease to be an outermost region and instead become an OCT on 1 January 2012, a change which, they say, should facilitate trade with countries outside the EU, notably the United States. The change in Saint Barthélémy's status was made possible by a provision of the Lisbon Treaty which allow the European Council
to change the EU status of a Danish, Dutch or French territory on the initiative of the member state concerned.
(all but Gibraltar
, which, unlike the other territories, is part of the European Union (see below), and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus
), namely:
These are counted as Overseas Countries and Territories under the Treaty of Rome; however, Bermuda
has chosen not to apply for this status. All citizens of the British overseas territories
– including those connected to Bermuda, but excluding those connected to Britain's sovereign bases in Cyprus – were granted full British citizenship by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002
and are consequently citizens of the European Union.
, French Polynesia
and Wallis and Futuna
are overseas collectivities (formerly referred to as overseas territories) of France, while New Caledonia
is a "sui generis
collectivity". Mayotte
has recently become an overseas department on 31 March 2011, having previously been an overseas collectivity. While Mayotte is due to become an overseas region and part of the European Union on 1 January 2014, it remains an OCT and outside the EU until then.
Mayotte and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are both part of the Eurozone
, while New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna use the CFP Franc
, a currency which is tied to the euro and guaranteed by France. Natives of the collectivities are European citizens owing to their French citizenship and elections to the European Parliament are held in the collectivities. A declaration (43) annexed to the final act of the Treaty of Lisbon
stated that upon request from the French government, the European Council
would have to make a decision in order to make Mayotte an outermost region when "the evolution currently under way in the internal status of the island so allows". (In March 2011, Mayotte became an overseas department and overseas region of France, a collectivité unique, and the French government anticipates its becoming an Outermost Region. French president Nicolas Sarkozy
is expected to make a formal request to the Council of the European Union
for Mayotte to become an OMR.)
The French Southern and Antarctic Territories (which include the French Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean
) is a French Overseas Territory but have no permanent population. Both have sui generis statuses within France. It has overseas countries and territories status within the European Union.
on 10 October 2010, Aruba
, Curaçao
, and Sint Maarten are now autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
. As the Netherlands Antilles
, they were initially specifically excluded from all association with the EEC by reason of a protocol attached to the Treaty of Rome, allowing the Netherlands to ratify on behalf of the Netherlands and Netherlands New Guinea only, which it subsequently did. Following the entry into force of the Convention on the association of the Netherlands Antilles with the European Economic Community
on 1 October 1964, however, the Netherlands Antilles were counted as overseas territories. The inhabitants of the islands are EU citizens owing to their Dutch nationality, but most of them were not, until recently, entitled to vote in European Parliamentary Elections. This has been recently ruled to be contrary to EU law by the European Court of Justice
as Dutch citizens resident outside the EU, other than those resident in either the former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, were entitled to vote in the Dutch elections to the European Parliament.
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba — collectively known as the BES islands or the Caribbean Netherlands — are now special municipalities of the Netherlands
. They will remain OCTs at least until 2015.
Aruba
and the former Netherlands Antilles
are listed in the OCT list in Annex II to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the latter with enumerating her former five component territories Curaçao
, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.
is a special case among the overseas countries and territories as it is the only one which was once part of the Union (then called the European Community). Greenland had a referendum
on membership and subsequently left in 1985. Greenlanders are, nonetheless, full European Union citizens owing to their Danish citizenship.
or the customs union
or both.
in 1995. The islands had a separate referendum on accession and like the Finnish mainland voted in favour.
While most EU law applies to Åland it is outside the VAT area and is exempt from common rules in relation to turnover tax
es, excise duties and indirect taxation. There are also restrictions on the freedom of movement of people and services, the right of establishment, and the purchase or holding of real estate in Åland.
exclave town of Büsingen am Hochrhein
, fully surrounded by Switzerland
, is in customs union
with the latter non-EU country. The euro is legal tender, although the Swiss franc
is preferred. Büsingen is excluded from the EU customs union and VAT area. Swiss VAT and sales taxes are paid.
is totally surrounded by Switzerland's Ticino (Tessin) canton as well as Lake Lugano (Lake Ceresio) and is in the Province of Como, whilst Livigno
, a small and remote mountain resort town, is in the Italian province of Sondrio. Although part of the EU, they are excluded from the customs union and VAT area, with Livigno's tax status dating back to Napoleonic times. Moreover, legal tender in Campione d'Italia is the Swiss Franc, even with the euro widely accepted.
and Melilla
are two Spanish cities on the North African coast. They are excluded from the common agricultural and fisheries policies. They are also outside the customs union and VAT area, but no customs are levied on goods exported from the Union into either Ceuta and Melilla, and certain goods originating in Ceuta and Melilla are exempt from customs charges.
, Guernsey
and the Isle of Man
are British Crown dependencies, the former two being just off the French coast and the latter being in the middle of the Irish Sea
. The islands take part in the EU freedom of movement of goods but not people, services or capital. The Channel Islands (as they were defined in 1972, when UK joined the European Communities, now Jersey and Guernsey) are outside the VAT area (since they have no VAT), while the Isle of Man is inside it. Both areas are inside the customs union.
Channel Islanders and Manx people are British citizens and hence European citizens. However, they are not entitled to take advantage of the freedom of movement of people or services unless they are directly connected (through birth, descent from a parent or grandparent, or five years' residence) with the United Kingdom.
on 1 May 2004, the northern third of the island was outside of the effective control of its government, a United Nations buffer zone of varying width separated the two parts, and a further 3% of the island was taken up by UK sovereign bases (under British sovereignty since the Treaty of Establishment in 1960). Two protocol
s to the Treaty of Accession 2003
– numbers 3 and 10, known as the "Sovereign Base Areas Protocol" and the "Cyprus Protocol" respectively – reflect this complex situation.
EU law only applies fully to the part of the island that is effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. EU law is suspended in the northern third of the island (the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
, whose independence is recognised only by Turkey
) by article 1(1) of the Cyprus Protocol. Turkish Cypriots living there are nonetheless European citizens and are entitled, at least in principle, to vote in elections to the European Parliament; however, elections to that Parliament are not organised in northern Cyprus.
. Unlike other British overseas territories, they are not listed as Overseas Countries and Territories under the Treaty of Rome and their inhabitants (who are entitled to British Overseas Territories Citizen
ship) have never been entitled to British citizenship.
Prior to Cypriot accession to the EU in 2004, EU law did not apply to the sovereign bases. This position was changed by the Cypriot accession treaty and EU law, while still not applying in principle, applies to the extent necessary to implement a protocol attached to that treaty. In practice this protocol applies a substantial portion of EU law to the sovereign bases including provisions relative to agricultural policy, customs and indirect taxation. The UK also agreed in the Protocol to keep enough control of the external (i.e. off-island and northern Cyprus) borders of the sovereign bases to ensure that the border between the sovereign bases and the Republic of Cyprus can remain fully open and will not have to be policed as an external EU border. Consequently the sovereign bases will become a de facto
part of the Schengen Area if and when Cyprus implements it. The bases are already de facto members of the eurozone
due to their previous use of the Cypriot pound
before it was replaced by the euro
in 2008.
As pointed out above, inhabitants of the sovereign bases have never been entitled to British citizenship or the European Union citizenship that would go with it. However, apart from those temporarily living there in connection with the British forces, the majority of the inhabitants are nationals of the Republic of Cyprus and therefore European citizens.
between north and south Cyprus ranges in width from a few metres in central Nicosia
to several kilometres in the countryside. While it is nominally under the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, it is effectively administered by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
(UNFICYP). The population of the zone is 8686 (as of October 2007), and one of the mandates of UNFICYP is "to encourage the fullest possible resumption of normal civilian activity in the buffer zone". Article 2.1 of the Cyprus Protocol allows the European Council to determine to what extent the provisions of EU law apply in the buffer zone.
are not part of the EU. Danish citizens residing on the islands, who hold Faroese-Danish passports (modelled on the pre-EU green Danish passport
s), are not considered as citizens of a member state within the meaning of the treaties or, consequently, citizens of the European Union. However Faroese may become EU citizens by changing their residence to the Danish mainland.
The Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen Area, and Schengen visas are not valid. However, the islands are part of the Nordic Passport Union
. This means that there is an identity check upon arrival on the islands where Nordic citizens on intra-Nordic travel need no passport, only showing the ticket plus identity card.
is a British overseas territory
located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula
and overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar
, sharing a border with Spain
to the north. It is part of the EU, having joined the European Economic Community
under the United Kingdom in 1973. Article 355(3) (ex Article 299(4)) applies the treaty to "the European territories for whose external relations a Member State is responsible", a provision which in practice only applies to Gibraltar. Notwithstanding its being part of the EU, Gibraltar is outside the customs union and VAT area and is exempted from the Common Agricultural Policy
. As a separate jurisdiction to the UK, Gibraltar's government
and parliament are responsible for the transposition
of EU law into local law.
Owing to a declaration lodged by the United Kingdom with the EEC in 1982 Gibraltarians were to be counted as British nationals for the purposes of Community law. This was notwithstanding that they were not all, at the time, British citizens but many were British Overseas Territories citizen
s. As such Gibraltarians
have enjoyed European Union citizenship from its creation by the Maastricht Treaty
. All Gibraltarians have since been granted full British citizenship.
Despite their status as EU citizens resident in the EU, elections to the European Parliament
were not held in Gibraltar until 2004. The inclusion resulted from the European Court of Human Rights
' ruling in Matthews v. United Kingdom which deemed that Gibraltar's exclusion violated Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights
. In the 2004 European Parliament election the territory formed part of the South West England
constituency of the United Kingdom
. The inclusion was unsuccessfully challenged by Spain before the European Court of Justice
.
Like the UK, Gibraltar does not form part of the Schengen Area
and as a result the border between Spain and Gibraltar is an external Schengen border through which Spain is legally obliged to perform full entrance and exit controls. However Gibraltar does participate in certain police and judicial cooperation aspects of the Schengen acquis in line with the UK's request to participate in the same measures.
With respect to the application of EU law to Gibraltar, the Governments of Spain and the United Kingdom made the following Declaration which is appended (as Declaration 55) to the Treaty on European Union: "The Treaties apply to Gibraltar as a European territory for whose external relations a Member State is responsible. This shall not imply changes in the respective positions of the Member States concerned."
is a German island situated 70 km (43.5 mi) off the German north-western coast. It is part of the EU, but is excluded from the customs union and the VAT area.
is an autonomous monastic region of Greece
. Greece's EU accession treaty provides that Mount Athos maintains its centuries-old special legal status, guaranteed by article 105 of the Greek Constitution
. It is part of the customs union but outside the VAT area. Notwithstanding that a special permit is required to enter the peninsula and a prohibition on the admittance of women, it is part of the Schengen Area
. A declaration attached to Greece's accession treaty to the Schengen Agreement
states that Mount Athos's "special status" should be taken into account in the application of the Schengen rules.
the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal
and the island of Maly Vysotsky
from Russia
. The area is not part of the EU; it is a special part of Russia, and under the treaty signed by Finnish and Russian governments, as of 2010 Maly Vysotsky is managed by Russian authorities. Russian law is in force, with a few exceptions concerning maritime rules and the employment of canal staff, which fall under Finnish jurisdiction. There are also special rules concerning vessels travelling to Finland via the canal. Russian visas
are not required for just passing through the canal, but a passport is needed and it is checked at the border. Euros are accepted for the canal fees.
Most of them left their former mother country before the implementation of the Maastricht treaty
in 1993 and the following years, meaning that cooperations like the EU citizenship, the VAT union or the Eurozone did not exist, so it made less difference to be a special territory then.
These were:
Additionally in Europe there were special territories in the past that had different status than their "mainland", because of various reasons, but now are part of a member state. Some of these territories were as follows:
and states under a safeguard clause or transitional period). Some territories of EFTA member states also have a special status in regard to EU laws applied as is the case with some European microstates.
Legend for the "Application of EU law" column: [Full or with exemptions.] — [Partial] — [Minimal or none. Not part of the EU.]
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. These statuses range from no or limited derogation from EU policies, limited inclusion in EU policies or none at all. Most of the territories which are outside the EU nonetheless enjoy a special relationship with the EU.
Outermost regions
The outermost regions (OMR) are nine regions of EU member states which are part of the EU. According to the EC Treaty, European Union lawEuropean Union law
European Union law is a body of treaties and legislation, such as Regulations and Directives, which have direct effect or indirect effect on the laws of European Union member states. The three sources of European Union law are primary law, secondary law and supplementary law...
applies to these territories with possible derogations to take account of their "structural social and economic situation ... which is compounded by their remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, economic dependence on a few products, the permanence and combination of which severely restrain their development ...". There were initially seven outermost regions, as established by the EC Treaty, but the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
included two additional territories, both of which seceded from one of the original outermost regions.
Azores and Madeira
AzoresAzores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
are two groups of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic. While derogations from the application of EU law could apply, none do. Their VAT is lower than the rest of Portugal, but they are not outside the European Union Value Added Tax Area
European Union Value Added Tax Area
The European Union value added tax area is a territory consisting of all European Union member states and certain other countries which follow the European Union's rules on value added tax . The principle is also valid for some special taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco.Goods are only...
.
Canary Islands
The Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
are a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
off the African coast which forms one of the Spanish Autonomous Communities, thus having the status of being part of Spanish territory. They are outside the European Union Value Added Tax Area
European Union Value Added Tax Area
The European Union value added tax area is a territory consisting of all European Union member states and certain other countries which follow the European Union's rules on value added tax . The principle is also valid for some special taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco.Goods are only...
. The Canary Islands are the most populated and economically strongest territory of all the outermost regions in the European Union. The outermost regions office for support and information is located in these islands, in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
(Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
).
French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion
French GuianaFrench Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
are four French overseas departments which under French law are, for the most part, treated as integral parts of the Republic. Each also forms a French overseas region. The euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
is legal tender and they are part of the European Union Customs Union
European Union Customs Union
The European Union Customs Union is a customs union which consists of all the Member States of the European Union and a number of surrounding countries....
. However they are outside the Schengen area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
and the VAT area
European Union Value Added Tax Area
The European Union value added tax area is a territory consisting of all European Union member states and certain other countries which follow the European Union's rules on value added tax . The principle is also valid for some special taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco.Goods are only...
.
A fifth French Overseas Department, Mayotte
Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and...
, was created on 31 March 2011 when its status was changed from being a overseas collectivity. While Mayotte is currently an overseas country or territory, it is due to become an overseas region and thus part of the EU on 1 January 2014.
Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin
On 22 February 2007, Saint BarthélemySaint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
and Saint Martin
Saint Martin (France)
Saint Martin , officially the Collectivity of Saint Martin is an overseas collectivity of France located in the Caribbean. It came into being on 15 July 2007, encompassing the northern parts of Saint Martin island and neighbouring islets, the largest of which is Île Tintamarre...
were broken away from the French overseas department of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
to be formed into two new overseas collectivities. As a consequence their status was unclear for a time. While a report issued by the French parliament suggested that both islands remained within the EU as outermost regions, European Commission documents listed them as being outside the European Community. The legal status of the islands was clarified on the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
which lists them as outermost regions.
In October 2010 the French government announced that Saint Barthélémy would cease to be an outermost region and instead become an OCT on 1 January 2012, a change which, they say, should facilitate trade with countries outside the EU, notably the United States. The change in Saint Barthélémy's status was made possible by a provision of the Lisbon Treaty which allow the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
to change the EU status of a Danish, Dutch or French territory on the initiative of the member state concerned.
Overseas countries and territories
The overseas countries and territories (OCT) are twenty one territories that have a special relationship with one of the member states of the EU: twelve with the United Kingdom, six with France, two with the Netherlands and one with Denmark. They are listed in Annex II acc. to Article 198 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and were invited to form association agreements with the EU and may opt in to EU provisions on freedom of movement for workers (Article 202 (ex Article 186)) and freedom of establishment (Article 199(5) (ex Article 183(5))). They are not subject to the EU's common external tariff (Article 200(1) (ex Article 184(1))) but may claim customs on goods imported from the EU on a non-discriminatory basis (Article 200(3) and 200(5) (ex Article 184(3) and (5))). They are not part of the EU, and EU law applies to them only insofar is necessary to implement the association agreements.British overseas territories
Twelve overseas territories of the United KingdomBritish overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
(all but Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, which, unlike the other territories, is part of the European Union (see below), and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two British-administered areas comprising a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus administered as Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom...
), namely:
- AnguillaAnguillaAnguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
- BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
- British Antarctic TerritoryBritish Antarctic TerritoryThe British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes and , forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole...
- British Indian Ocean TerritoryBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryThe British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia...
- British Virgin IslandsBritish Virgin IslandsThe Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
- Cayman IslandsCayman IslandsThe Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
- Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
- MontserratMontserratMontserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
- Pitcairn IslandsPitcairn IslandsThe Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of the islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and the Tristan da Cunha group...
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
- Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks and Caicos IslandsThe Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
These are counted as Overseas Countries and Territories under the Treaty of Rome; however, Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
has chosen not to apply for this status. All citizens of the British overseas territories
British Overseas Territories citizen
The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territory.-British Nationality Act 1981:...
– including those connected to Bermuda, but excluding those connected to Britain's sovereign bases in Cyprus – were granted full British citizenship by the British Overseas Territories Act 2002
British Overseas Territories Act 2002
The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which superseded parts of the British Nationality Act 1981...
and are consequently citizens of the European Union.
French overseas collectivities, Mayotte, New Caledonia and the French Southern Lands
Saint-Pierre and MiquelonSaint-Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France. It is the only remnant of the former colonial empire of New France that remains under French control....
, French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
and Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands , is a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast,...
are overseas collectivities (formerly referred to as overseas territories) of France, while New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
is a "sui generis
Sui generis
Sui generis is a Latin expression, literally meaning of its own kind/genus or unique in its characteristics. The expression is often used in analytic philosophy to indicate an idea, an entity, or a reality which cannot be included in a wider concept....
collectivity". Mayotte
Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and...
has recently become an overseas department on 31 March 2011, having previously been an overseas collectivity. While Mayotte is due to become an overseas region and part of the European Union on 1 January 2014, it remains an OCT and outside the EU until then.
Mayotte and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are both part of the Eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
, while New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna use the CFP Franc
CFP franc
The CFP franc is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna. The initials CFP originally stood for Colonies Françaises du Pacifique...
, a currency which is tied to the euro and guaranteed by France. Natives of the collectivities are European citizens owing to their French citizenship and elections to the European Parliament are held in the collectivities. A declaration (43) annexed to the final act of the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
stated that upon request from the French government, the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
would have to make a decision in order to make Mayotte an outermost region when "the evolution currently under way in the internal status of the island so allows". (In March 2011, Mayotte became an overseas department and overseas region of France, a collectivité unique, and the French government anticipates its becoming an Outermost Region. French president Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
is expected to make a formal request to the Council of the European Union
Council of the European Union
The Council of the European Union is the institution in the legislature of the European Union representing the executives of member states, the other legislative body being the European Parliament. The Council is composed of twenty-seven national ministers...
for Mayotte to become an OMR.)
The French Southern and Antarctic Territories (which include the French Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean
Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean
The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean consist of four small coral islands, an atoll, and a reef in the Indian Ocean, and have constituted the 5th district of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands since February 2007. They have no permanent population...
) is a French Overseas Territory but have no permanent population. Both have sui generis statuses within France. It has overseas countries and territories status within the European Union.
Dutch overseas territories
After the dissolution of the Netherlands AntillesNetherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
on 10 October 2010, Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, and Sint Maarten are now autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
. As the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
, they were initially specifically excluded from all association with the EEC by reason of a protocol attached to the Treaty of Rome, allowing the Netherlands to ratify on behalf of the Netherlands and Netherlands New Guinea only, which it subsequently did. Following the entry into force of the Convention on the association of the Netherlands Antilles with the European Economic Community
Convention on the association of the Netherlands Antilles with the European Economic Community
The Convention on the association of the Netherlands Antilles with the European Economic Community is an international agreement amending the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, with the aim of awarding OCT status to the Netherlands Antilles, which was a constituent country of the...
on 1 October 1964, however, the Netherlands Antilles were counted as overseas territories. The inhabitants of the islands are EU citizens owing to their Dutch nationality, but most of them were not, until recently, entitled to vote in European Parliamentary Elections. This has been recently ruled to be contrary to EU law by the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
as Dutch citizens resident outside the EU, other than those resident in either the former Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, were entitled to vote in the Dutch elections to the European Parliament.
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba — collectively known as the BES islands or the Caribbean Netherlands — are now special municipalities of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. They will remain OCTs at least until 2015.
Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
and the former Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
are listed in the OCT list in Annex II to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the latter with enumerating her former five component territories Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba.
Greenland
GreenlandGreenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
is a special case among the overseas countries and territories as it is the only one which was once part of the Union (then called the European Community). Greenland had a referendum
Greenlandic European Economic Community membership referendum, 1982
The Greenlandic European Economic Community membership referendum, 1982 was a consultative referendum over whether Greenland should continue to be a member of the European Economic Community which took place on 23 February 1982....
on membership and subsequently left in 1985. Greenlanders are, nonetheless, full European Union citizens owing to their Danish citizenship.
Special cases
While the outermost regions and the overseas counties and territories fall into structured categories to which common mechanisms apply, this is not true of all the special territories. Some territories enjoy ad-hoc arrangements in their relationship with the EU. Some of these could be called "protocol territories" as their status is governed by protocols attached to their respective countries' accession treaties. The rest owe their status to European Union legislative provisions which exclude the territories from the application of the legislation concerned. Many opt out from either the VAT areaEuropean Union Value Added Tax Area
The European Union value added tax area is a territory consisting of all European Union member states and certain other countries which follow the European Union's rules on value added tax . The principle is also valid for some special taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco.Goods are only...
or the customs union
European Union Customs Union
The European Union Customs Union is a customs union which consists of all the Member States of the European Union and a number of surrounding countries....
or both.
Åland Islands
Åland, a group of islands belonging to Finland, but with partial autonomy, located between Sweden and Finland, with a Swedish-speaking population, joined the EU along with FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in 1995. The islands had a separate referendum on accession and like the Finnish mainland voted in favour.
While most EU law applies to Åland it is outside the VAT area and is exempt from common rules in relation to turnover tax
Turnover tax
A turnover tax is similar to a sales tax or a VAT, with the difference that it taxes intermediate and possibly capital goods. It is an indirect tax, typically on an ad valorem basis, applicable to a production process or stage. For example, when manufacturing activity is completed, a tax may be...
es, excise duties and indirect taxation. There are also restrictions on the freedom of movement of people and services, the right of establishment, and the purchase or holding of real estate in Åland.
Büsingen am Hochrhein
The GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
exclave town of Büsingen am Hochrhein
Büsingen
Büsingen am Hochrhein is a German town entirely surrounded by the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen and, south across the Rhine, by the cantons of Zürich and Thurgau. It has a population of about 1,450 inhabitants...
, fully surrounded by Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, is in customs union
Customs union
A customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas...
with the latter non-EU country. The euro is legal tender, although the Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
is preferred. Büsingen is excluded from the EU customs union and VAT area. Swiss VAT and sales taxes are paid.
Campione d'Italia and Livigno
The Italian enclave village of Campione d'ItaliaCampione d'Italia
Campione d'Italia is an Italian comune of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region, occupying an enclave within the Swiss canton of Ticino, separated from the rest of Italy by Lake Lugano and mountains...
is totally surrounded by Switzerland's Ticino (Tessin) canton as well as Lake Lugano (Lake Ceresio) and is in the Province of Como, whilst Livigno
Livigno
Livigno is a town and comune in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps.- Geography :Livigno is located 1,816 metres above sea level. Livigno's main river is called Aqua Granda or Spöl. Trepalle, a frazione in the municipality of Livigno, is...
, a small and remote mountain resort town, is in the Italian province of Sondrio. Although part of the EU, they are excluded from the customs union and VAT area, with Livigno's tax status dating back to Napoleonic times. Moreover, legal tender in Campione d'Italia is the Swiss Franc, even with the euro widely accepted.
Ceuta and Melilla
CeutaCeuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
and Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
are two Spanish cities on the North African coast. They are excluded from the common agricultural and fisheries policies. They are also outside the customs union and VAT area, but no customs are levied on goods exported from the Union into either Ceuta and Melilla, and certain goods originating in Ceuta and Melilla are exempt from customs charges.
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
JerseyJersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
are British Crown dependencies, the former two being just off the French coast and the latter being in the middle of the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. The islands take part in the EU freedom of movement of goods but not people, services or capital. The Channel Islands (as they were defined in 1972, when UK joined the European Communities, now Jersey and Guernsey) are outside the VAT area (since they have no VAT), while the Isle of Man is inside it. Both areas are inside the customs union.
Channel Islanders and Manx people are British citizens and hence European citizens. However, they are not entitled to take advantage of the freedom of movement of people or services unless they are directly connected (through birth, descent from a parent or grandparent, or five years' residence) with the United Kingdom.
Cyprus
When the Republic of Cyprus became part of the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
on 1 May 2004, the northern third of the island was outside of the effective control of its government, a United Nations buffer zone of varying width separated the two parts, and a further 3% of the island was taken up by UK sovereign bases (under British sovereignty since the Treaty of Establishment in 1960). Two protocol
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
s to the Treaty of Accession 2003
Treaty of Accession 2003
The Treaty of Accession 2003 was the agreement between the European Union and ten countries , concerning these countries' accession into the EU...
– numbers 3 and 10, known as the "Sovereign Base Areas Protocol" and the "Cyprus Protocol" respectively – reflect this complex situation.
EU law only applies fully to the part of the island that is effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. EU law is suspended in the northern third of the island (the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Northern Cyprus or North Cyprus , officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus , is a self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus...
, whose independence is recognised only by Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) by article 1(1) of the Cyprus Protocol. Turkish Cypriots living there are nonetheless European citizens and are entitled, at least in principle, to vote in elections to the European Parliament; however, elections to that Parliament are not organised in northern Cyprus.
United Kingdom sovereign bases
The United Kingdom has two sovereign bases on Cyprus, namely Akrotiri and DhekeliaAkrotiri and Dhekelia
The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two British-administered areas comprising a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus administered as Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom...
. Unlike other British overseas territories, they are not listed as Overseas Countries and Territories under the Treaty of Rome and their inhabitants (who are entitled to British Overseas Territories Citizen
British Overseas Territories citizen
The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territory.-British Nationality Act 1981:...
ship) have never been entitled to British citizenship.
Prior to Cypriot accession to the EU in 2004, EU law did not apply to the sovereign bases. This position was changed by the Cypriot accession treaty and EU law, while still not applying in principle, applies to the extent necessary to implement a protocol attached to that treaty. In practice this protocol applies a substantial portion of EU law to the sovereign bases including provisions relative to agricultural policy, customs and indirect taxation. The UK also agreed in the Protocol to keep enough control of the external (i.e. off-island and northern Cyprus) borders of the sovereign bases to ensure that the border between the sovereign bases and the Republic of Cyprus can remain fully open and will not have to be policed as an external EU border. Consequently the sovereign bases will become a de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
part of the Schengen Area if and when Cyprus implements it. The bases are already de facto members of the eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
due to their previous use of the Cypriot pound
Cypriot pound
The pound, also known as the lira , was the currency of Cyprus, including the Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, until 31 December 2007, when the Republic of Cyprus adopted the euro...
before it was replaced by the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
in 2008.
As pointed out above, inhabitants of the sovereign bases have never been entitled to British citizenship or the European Union citizenship that would go with it. However, apart from those temporarily living there in connection with the British forces, the majority of the inhabitants are nationals of the Republic of Cyprus and therefore European citizens.
United Nations buffer zone
The United Nations buffer zoneUnited Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus runs for more than along what is known as the Green Line and has an area of . The zone partitions the island of Cyprus into a southern area effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus , and the northern area...
between north and south Cyprus ranges in width from a few metres in central Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
to several kilometres in the countryside. While it is nominally under the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, it is effectively administered by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions...
(UNFICYP). The population of the zone is 8686 (as of October 2007), and one of the mandates of UNFICYP is "to encourage the fullest possible resumption of normal civilian activity in the buffer zone". Article 2.1 of the Cyprus Protocol allows the European Council to determine to what extent the provisions of EU law apply in the buffer zone.
Faroe Islands
The Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
are not part of the EU. Danish citizens residing on the islands, who hold Faroese-Danish passports (modelled on the pre-EU green Danish passport
Danish passport
Danish passports are issued to citizens of the Kingdom of Denmark to facilitate international travel. Different versions exist for nationals of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands although all citizens have the same nationality.-Physical appearance:...
s), are not considered as citizens of a member state within the meaning of the treaties or, consequently, citizens of the European Union. However Faroese may become EU citizens by changing their residence to the Danish mainland.
The Faroe Islands are not part of the Schengen Area, and Schengen visas are not valid. However, the islands are part of the Nordic Passport Union
Nordic Passport Union
The Nordic Passport Union allows citizens of the Nordic countries: Denmark , Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland to travel and reside in other Nordic countries without a passport or a residence permit.- Establishment :...
. This means that there is an identity check upon arrival on the islands where Nordic citizens on intra-Nordic travel need no passport, only showing the ticket plus identity card.
Gibraltar
GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
is a British overseas territory
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
and overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
, sharing a border with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to the north. It is part of the EU, having joined the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
under the United Kingdom in 1973. Article 355(3) (ex Article 299(4)) applies the treaty to "the European territories for whose external relations a Member State is responsible", a provision which in practice only applies to Gibraltar. Notwithstanding its being part of the EU, Gibraltar is outside the customs union and VAT area and is exempted from the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
. As a separate jurisdiction to the UK, Gibraltar's government
Chief Minister of Gibraltar
The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party elected to the Gibraltar Parliament, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown.-List of Chief Ministers:...
and parliament are responsible for the transposition
Transposition (law)
The incorporation of international law is the process by international agreements become part of the municipal law of a sovereign state. A country incorporates a treaty by passing domestic legislation that gives effect to the treaty in the national legal system....
of EU law into local law.
Owing to a declaration lodged by the United Kingdom with the EEC in 1982 Gibraltarians were to be counted as British nationals for the purposes of Community law. This was notwithstanding that they were not all, at the time, British citizens but many were British Overseas Territories citizen
British Overseas Territories citizen
The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territory.-British Nationality Act 1981:...
s. As such Gibraltarians
Gibraltarian people
The Gibraltarians are a cultural group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea.- Origins :...
have enjoyed European Union citizenship from its creation by the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
. All Gibraltarians have since been granted full British citizenship.
Despite their status as EU citizens resident in the EU, elections to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
were not held in Gibraltar until 2004. The inclusion resulted from the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
' ruling in Matthews v. United Kingdom which deemed that Gibraltar's exclusion violated Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
. In the 2004 European Parliament election the territory formed part of the South West England
South West England (European Parliament constituency)
South West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation, reduced from 7 in 2004.-Boundaries:...
constituency of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The inclusion was unsuccessfully challenged by Spain before the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
.
Like the UK, Gibraltar does not form part of the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
and as a result the border between Spain and Gibraltar is an external Schengen border through which Spain is legally obliged to perform full entrance and exit controls. However Gibraltar does participate in certain police and judicial cooperation aspects of the Schengen acquis in line with the UK's request to participate in the same measures.
With respect to the application of EU law to Gibraltar, the Governments of Spain and the United Kingdom made the following Declaration which is appended (as Declaration 55) to the Treaty on European Union: "The Treaties apply to Gibraltar as a European territory for whose external relations a Member State is responsible. This shall not imply changes in the respective positions of the Member States concerned."
Heligoland
HeligolandHeligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
is a German island situated 70 km (43.5 mi) off the German north-western coast. It is part of the EU, but is excluded from the customs union and the VAT area.
Mount Athos
Mount AthosMount Athos
Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the...
is an autonomous monastic region of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Greece's EU accession treaty provides that Mount Athos maintains its centuries-old special legal status, guaranteed by article 105 of the Greek Constitution
Constitution of Greece
The Constitution of Greece , was created by the Fifth Revisional Parliament of the Hellenes and entered into force in 1975. It has been revised three times since, most significantly in 1986, and also in 2001 and in 2008. The Constitutional history of Greece goes back to the Greek War of...
. It is part of the customs union but outside the VAT area. Notwithstanding that a special permit is required to enter the peninsula and a prohibition on the admittance of women, it is part of the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
. A declaration attached to Greece's accession treaty to the Schengen Agreement
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
states that Mount Athos's "special status" should be taken into account in the application of the Schengen rules.
Saimaa Canal and Maly Vysotsky Island
Finland leasesConcession (territory)
In international law, a concession is a territory within a country that is administered by an entity other than the state which holds sovereignty over it. This is usually a colonizing power, or at least mandated by one, as in the case of colonial chartered companies.Usually, it is conceded, that...
the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal
Saimaa Canal
The Saimaa Canal is a transportation canal that connects lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland near Vyborg, Russia. The canal was built from 1845 to 1856 and opened on 7 September 1856 .It was overhauled and widened in 1963–1968....
and the island of Maly Vysotsky
Maly Vysotsky Island
Maly Vysotsky is an island in northwest Russia, currently leased to Finland. It is located in Vyborg Bay, next to Vysotsk, 12 km southwest of Vyborg....
from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The area is not part of the EU; it is a special part of Russia, and under the treaty signed by Finnish and Russian governments, as of 2010 Maly Vysotsky is managed by Russian authorities. Russian law is in force, with a few exceptions concerning maritime rules and the employment of canal staff, which fall under Finnish jurisdiction. There are also special rules concerning vessels travelling to Finland via the canal. Russian visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
are not required for just passing through the canal, but a passport is needed and it is checked at the border. Euros are accepted for the canal fees.
Former special territories
Many currently independent states or parts of such were previously territories of the following EU members:- Belgium (with multiple territories, from ECSC formation until 1962)
- France (with multiple territories, from ECSC formation)
- Italy (with Italian SomalilandItalian SomalilandItalian Somaliland , also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1936 in the region of modern-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate, the territory was later acquired by Italy through various...
, from ECSC formation until 1960) - The Netherlands (with multiple territories, from ECSC formation)
- Portugal (with multiple territories, from 1986 enlargement until 2002)
- United Kingdom (with multiple territories, from 1973 enlargement)
Most of them left their former mother country before the implementation of the Maastricht treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
in 1993 and the following years, meaning that cooperations like the EU citizenship, the VAT union or the Eurozone did not exist, so it made less difference to be a special territory then.
These were:
- CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
(gained independence from France in 1953), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
(gained independence from France in 1954), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
(gained independence from France in 1954), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
(gained independence from France in 1956), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(gained independence from France in 1956), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
(gained independence from France in 1958), was with OCT status - CameroonCameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
(French-administered partCamerounCameroun was a French and British mandate territory in central Africa, now constituting the majority of the territory of the Republic of Cameroon....
gained independence from France in 1960 along with some of UK-administered partsCameroonsBritish Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa, now divided between Nigeria and Cameroon.The area of present-day Cameroon was claimed by Germany as a protectorate during the "Scramble for Africa" at the end of the 19th century...
); was with OCT status for the French part - TogoTogoTogo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - DR Congo (gained independence from Belgium in 1960), was with OCT status
- SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
(Italian-administered partTrust Territory of SomaliaThe Trust Territory of Somalia was a United Nations Trust Territory that was administered by Italy from 1949 to 1960, following the dissolution of the former Italian Somaliland inside the territory of modern-day Somalia.-History:In 1941, Italian Somaliland was occupied by British and South African...
gained independence from Italy in 1960 along with UK-administered partBritish SomalilandBritish Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
); was with OCT status for the Italian part - BeninBeninBenin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - NigerNigerNiger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - Burkina FasoBurkina FasoBurkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - Ivory Coast (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
- ChadChadChad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - Central African RepublicCentral African RepublicThe Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - Congo (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
- GabonGabonGabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
(gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status - BurundiBurundiBurundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
(gained independence from Belgium in 1962), was with OCT status - RwandaRwandaRwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
(gained independence from Belgium in 1962), was with OCT status - Netherlands New GuineaNetherlands New GuineaNetherlands New Guinea refers to the West Papua region while it was an overseas territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1949 to 1962. Until 1949 it was a part of the Netherlands Indies. It was commonly known as Dutch New Guinea...
(transferred from Netherlands to UNUnited Nations Temporary Executive AuthorityThe United Nations Temporary Executive Authority / United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea was established during October 1962 in accord with Article two of the New York Agreement to administer the colony of West New Guinea until the 1st May 1963.-History:Western New Guinea became the...
in 1962, later merged with Indonesia), was with OCT status - SurinameSurinameSuriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
(gained independence from Netherlands in 1975), was with OCT status, EURATOM application unsure. - AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
(gained independence from France in 1962), was with status similar to OMR - Bahamas (gained independence from UK in 1973), was with OCT status
- GrenadaGrenadaGrenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
(gained independence from UK in 1973), was with OCT status - ComorosComorosThe Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
(gained independence from France in 1962), was with OCT status - SeychellesSeychellesSeychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
(gained independence from UK in 1976), was with OCT status - French SomalilandFrench SomalilandFrench Somaliland was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. Established after the French signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 with the then ruling Somali Sultans, the colony lasted from 1896 until 1946, when it became an overseas territory of France....
(gained independence from France as DjiboutiDjiboutiDjibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
in 1977), was with OCT status - Solomon IslandsSolomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
(gained independence from UK in 1976), was with OCT status - TuvaluTuvaluTuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
(gained independence from UK in 1978), was with OCT status - DominicaDominicaDominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
(gained independence from UK in 1978), was with OCT status - Saint LuciaSaint LuciaSaint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
(gained independence from UK in 1979), was with OCT status - KiribatiKiribatiKiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
(gained independence from UK in 1979), was with OCT status - Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSaint Vincent and the Grenadines is an island country in the Lesser Antilles chain, namely in the southern portion of the Windward Islands, which lie at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean....
(gained independence from UK in 1979), was with OCT status - ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(gained independence from UK in 1980), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - VanuatuVanuatuVanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
(gained independence from UK and France in 1980), generally was with OCT status - BelizeBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
(gained independence from UK in 1981), was with OCT status - Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
(gained independence from UK in 1981), was with OCT status - Saint Kitts and NevisSaint Kitts and NevisThe Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
(gained independence from UK in 1983), was with OCT status - BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
(gained independence from UK in 1984), was with OCT status - Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(sovereignty transferred from the UK to the PRCPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1997), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences - MacauMacauMacau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
(sovereignty transferred from Portugal to the PRCPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1999), EURATOM was applicable, besides the ECSC preferences - Timor-Leste (gained independence from UNUnited Nations Transitional Administration in East TimorThe United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor, from its establishment on October 25, 1999 until its independence on May 20, 2002 following the outcome of the East Timor Special...
in 2002), no Community treaty applied there
Additionally in Europe there were special territories in the past that had different status than their "mainland", because of various reasons, but now are part of a member state. Some of these territories were as follows:
- The Austrian areas of KleinwalsertalKleinwalsertalKleinwalsertal is a part of Austria, but only accessible from Germany to the north, and thus is an Austrian "practical exclave" or "pene-exclave". Prior to Austria joining the European Union, the area had tax-free status....
and JungholzJungholzJungholz is a small town in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol that is only accessible via Germany. It has a total resident population of 323 people in its 7 km². The lack of a road connection to anywhere else in Austria led to Jungholz being included in the German customs area until...
formerly enjoyed a special legal status. The 2 areas have road access only to Germany, and not directly to other parts of Austria. They were in customsCustoms unionA customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas...
and currency unionCurrency unionA currency union is where two or more states share the same currency, though without there necessarily having any further integration such as an Economic and Monetary Union, which has in addition a customs union and a single market.There are three types of currency unions:#Informal - unilateral...
with GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and there were no border controls between Kleinwalsertal and Jungholz, respectively, and Germany. When Austria entered the EU (and its customs union) in 1995, the customs union became defunct. The entry into force of the Schengen AgreementSchengen AgreementThe Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
for Austria (1997) and the introduction of the euroEuroThe euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
(2002) caused Kleinwalsertal and Jungholz to lose their remaining legal privileges. It is now legally treated in the same manner as the rest of Austria. - SaarSaar (protectorate)The Saar Protectorate was a German borderland territory twice temporarily made a protectorate state. Since rejoining Germany the second time in 1957, it is the smallest Federal German Area State , the Saarland, not counting the city-states Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen...
(merged with West GermanySaar statuteThe Saar Statute was a Franco-German agreement signed in 1956 which resulted from lengthy diplomatic negotiations between France and Germany. It helped to pave the way for a more modern Europe following post World War II tensions and geo-political disputes...
on 1 January 1957), was fully part of the CommunityEuropean Coal and Steel CommunityThe European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
as French-administered European territory - West BerlinWest BerlinWest Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
(merged with West Germany on 3 October 1990), was with full application of the treaties - East Germany was formally not recognised by the original six EU countries until 1972. This meant that on paper it was part of the European Community, but not in reality. The Treaty of Rome had clauses allowing a fast reunion of Germany in 1990.
Summary
This table summarises the various components of EU laws applied in the EU member states and their sovereign territories. Member states that do not have special-status territories are not included (as there the EU law applies fully with the exception of the opt-outs in the European UnionOpt-outs in the European Union
In general, the law of the European Union is valid in all of the twenty-seven European Union member states. However, occasionally member states negotiate certain opt-outs from legislation or treaties of the European Union, meaning they do not have to participate in certain policy areas...
and states under a safeguard clause or transitional period). Some territories of EFTA member states also have a special status in regard to EU laws applied as is the case with some European microstates.
| Member states and sovereign territories |
Application of EU law |
Enforceable in local courts |
EURATOM |
EU citizenship Citizenship of the European Union Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty . European citizenship is supplementary to national citizenship and affords rights such as the right to vote in European elections, the right to free movement and the right to consular protection from other EU states'... |
EU elections Elections in the European Union Elections to the Parliament of the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. 736 MEPs are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979. No other body is directly elected although the Council of the European Union and European Council is... |
Schengen area Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later... |
EU VAT area European Union Value Added Tax Area The European Union value added tax area is a territory consisting of all European Union member states and certain other countries which follow the European Union's rules on value added tax . The principle is also valid for some special taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco.Goods are only... |
EU customs territory European Union Customs Union The European Union Customs Union is a customs union which consists of all the Member States of the European Union and a number of surrounding countries.... |
EU single market Single market A single market is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of production and of enterprise and services. The goal is that the movement of capital, labour, goods, and services between the members... |
Eurozone Eurozone The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender... |
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| , except: | Set to implement later | ||||||||||
 Northern Cyprus |
Suspended | , TRY Turkish new lira The new Turkish lira was the currency of Turkey and the de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus between 1 January 2005 and 1 January 2009 which was a transition period for the removal of six zeroes from the currency. The new lira was subdivided into 100 new kurush... |
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 UN Buffer ZoneUnited Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus runs for more than along what is known as the Green Line and has an area of . The zone partitions the island of Cyprus into a southern area effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus , and the northern area... |
? | ? | ? | |
? | ? | ? | de facto | |||
| , except: | , ERM II European Exchange Rate Mechanism The European Exchange Rate Mechanism, ERM, was a system introduced by the European Community in March 1979, as part of the European Monetary System , to reduce exchange rate variability and achieve monetary stability in Europe, in preparation for Economic and Monetary Union and the introduction of... with DKK Danish krone The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre... |
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| Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , DKK Danish krone The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre... |
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| Minimal (FTA) | , DKK Faroese króna The króna is the currency of the Faroe Islands. It is issued by the Danish National Bank. It is not an independent currency but a version of the Danish krone. Consequently, it does not have an ISO 4217 currency code. The ISO 4217 code for the Danish krone is DKK... |
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| , except: | |||||||||||
 Åland Islands |
With exemptions | With exemptions | |||||||||
| Saimaa Canal Saimaa Canal The Saimaa Canal is a transportation canal that connects lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland near Vyborg, Russia. The canal was built from 1845 to 1856 and opened on 7 September 1856 .It was overhauled and widened in 1963–1968.... and Maly Vysotsky Island Maly Vysotsky Island Maly Vysotsky is an island in northwest Russia, currently leased to Finland. It is located in Vyborg Bay, next to Vysotsk, 12 km southwest of Vyborg.... |
? | ? | ? | de facto | |||||||
| (Metropolitan Metropolitan France Metropolitan France is the part of France located in Europe. It can also be described as mainland France or as the French mainland and the island of Corsica... ), except: |
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 Réunion |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 French Guiana |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Martinique |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Guadeloupe |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Saint Barthélemy |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Saint Martin (France) |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Mayotte |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | |||||||||
 Saint-Pierre and Miquelon |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | |||||||||
 Wallis and Futuna |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | XPF CFP franc The CFP franc is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna. The initials CFP originally stood for Colonies Françaises du Pacifique... is pegged to Euro |
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| Minimal (OCT) | Partial | XPF CFP franc The CFP franc is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna. The initials CFP originally stood for Colonies Françaises du Pacifique... is pegged to Euro |
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 New Caledonia |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | XPF CFP franc The CFP franc is the currency used in the French overseas collectivities of French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna. The initials CFP originally stood for Colonies Françaises du Pacifique... is pegged to Euro |
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 French Southern Territories |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | |||||||||
 Clipperton IslandClipperton Island Clipperton Island is an uninhabited nine-square-kilometre coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, southwest of Mexico and west of Central America, at... |
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| , except: | |||||||||||
 Büsingen am HochrheinBüsingen Büsingen am Hochrhein is a German town entirely surrounded by the Swiss canton of Schaffhausen and, south across the Rhine, by the cantons of Zürich and Thurgau. It has a population of about 1,450 inhabitants... |
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| Heligoland Heligoland Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea... |
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| , except: | |||||||||||
| Mount Athos Mount Athos Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the... |
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| , except: | |||||||||||
 LivignoLivigno Livigno is a town and comune in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps.- Geography :Livigno is located 1,816 metres above sea level. Livigno's main river is called Aqua Granda or Spöl. Trepalle, a frazione in the municipality of Livigno, is... |
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| Campione d'Italia Campione d'Italia Campione d'Italia is an Italian comune of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region, occupying an enclave within the Swiss canton of Ticino, separated from the rest of Italy by Lake Lugano and mountains... |
, CHF Swiss franc The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there... |
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 NetherlandsKingdom of the Netherlands The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality... , except: |
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| Minimal (OCT) | Unsure | Partial | , AWG Aruban florin The florin is the currency of Aruba. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The florin was introduced in 1986, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder at par.-History:... |
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 Bonaire |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
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 CuraçaoCuraçao Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands... |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , ANG | ||||||||
 Saba |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
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 Sint Eustatius |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
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 Sint Maarten |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , ANG | ||||||||
| , except: | |||||||||||
 Azores |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Madeira |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
| , except: | |||||||||||
 Canary Islands |
With exemptions (OMR) | ||||||||||
 Ceuta |
With exemptions |
Minimal (FTA) | |||||||||
 Melilla |
With exemptions |
Minimal (FTA) | |||||||||
 Plazas de soberaníaPlazas de soberanía The plazas de soberanía or sovereign territories, referred to in English as Spanish North Africa or simply Spanish Africa, are the current Spanish territories in continental North Africa bordering Morocco, except the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.After the Reconquista, forces of the... , other than Ceuta and Melilla |
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| , except: | Police and judicial cooperation only | , GBP Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... |
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| With exemptions | Police and judicial cooperation only | With exemptions | , GIP Gibraltar pound The Gibraltar pound is the currency of Gibraltar. It is exchangeable with the UK pound sterling at par value.-History:... |
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 Akrotiri and DhekeliaAkrotiri and Dhekelia The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are two British-administered areas comprising a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus administered as Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom... |
With exemptions | Set to implement later | With exemptions |
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| Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , SHP Saint Helena pound The Saint Helena pound is the currency of the Atlantic islands of Saint Helena and Ascension, which are constituents of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha... |
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 Pitcairn Islands |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , NZD New Zealand dollar The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents.... |
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| Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , FKP Falkland Islands pound The pound is the currency of the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. The symbol is the pound sign, £, or alternatively FK£, to distinguish it from other pound-denominated currencies... |
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 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , GBP Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... |
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 British Antarctic Territory |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , GBP Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... |
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 British Indian Ocean Territory |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , GBP Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... , USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
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 Anguilla |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , XCD East Caribbean dollar The East Caribbean dollar is the currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States... |
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| Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , XCD East Caribbean dollar The East Caribbean dollar is the currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States... |
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 British Virgin Islands |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
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 Turks and Caicos Islands |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... |
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 Cayman Islands |
Minimal (OCT) | Partial | , KYD Cayman Islands dollar The Cayman Islands Dollar is the currency of the Cayman Islands. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively CI$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents... |
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 Bermuda |
Minimal | Partial | , BMD Bermuda dollar The dollar is the currency of Bermuda. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $ or, alternatively, BD$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents... |
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 Isle of Man |
Partial | Partial | Partial | Minimal (FTA) | , GBP Manx pound The Manx pound or Isle of Man pound is a local issue of the pound sterling, issued by the Isle of Man Government. It is subdivided into 100 pence.-Currency union with sterling:... |
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 Guernsey together with dependencies  Alderney,  Herm and  Sark |
Partial | Partial | Partial | Minimal (FTA) | , GBP Guernsey pound The pound is the currency of Guernsey. Since 1921, Guernsey has been in currency union with the United Kingdom and the Guernsey pound is not a separate currency but is a local issue of banknotes and coins denominated in pound sterling, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland and... |
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 Jersey |
Partial | Partial | Partial | Minimal (FTA) | , GBP Jersey pound The pound is the currency of Jersey. Jersey is in currency union with the United Kingdom, and the Jersey pound is not a separate currency but is an issue of banknotes and coins by the States of Jersey denominated in pound sterling, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern... |
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| Member states and sovereign territories |
Application of EU law |
Enforceable in local courts? |
EURATOM? |
EU citizenship Citizenship of the European Union Citizenship of the European Union was introduced by the Maastricht Treaty . European citizenship is supplementary to national citizenship and affords rights such as the right to vote in European elections, the right to free movement and the right to consular protection from other EU states'... ? |
EU elections Elections in the European Union Elections to the Parliament of the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. 736 MEPs are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979. No other body is directly elected although the Council of the European Union and European Council is... ? |
Schengen area Schengen Agreement The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later... ? |
EU VAT area European Union Value Added Tax Area The European Union value added tax area is a territory consisting of all European Union member states and certain other countries which follow the European Union's rules on value added tax . The principle is also valid for some special taxes on products like alcohol and tobacco.Goods are only... ? |
EU customs territory European Union Customs Union The European Union Customs Union is a customs union which consists of all the Member States of the European Union and a number of surrounding countries.... ? |
EU single market Single market A single market is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of production and of enterprise and services. The goal is that the movement of capital, labour, goods, and services between the members... ? |
Eurozone Eurozone The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender... ? |
|
Legend for the "Application of EU law" column: [Full or with exemptions.] — [Partial] — [Minimal or none. Not part of the EU.]
See also
- Dependent territoryDependent territoryA dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....
- Elections in the European UnionElections in the European UnionElections to the Parliament of the European Union take place every five years by universal adult suffrage. 736 MEPs are elected to the European Parliament which has been directly elected since 1979. No other body is directly elected although the Council of the European Union and European Council is...
- Enlargement of the European UnionEnlargement of the European UnionThe Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union through the accession of new member states. This process began with the Inner Six, who founded the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952...
- European Union Association AgreementEuropean Union Association AgreementA European Union Association Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. Areas frequently covered by such agreements include the development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links...
- EurozoneEurozoneThe eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
- Freedom of movement for workersFreedom of movement for workersThe freedom of movement for workers is a policy chapter of the acquis communautaire of the European Union. It is part of the free movement of persons and one of the four economic freedoms: free movement of goods, services, labour and capital...
- Future enlargement of the European UnionFuture enlargement of the European UnionThe future enlargement of the European Union is theoretically open to any European country which is democratic, operates a free market and is willing and able to implement all previous European Union law...
- History of the European UnionHistory of the European UnionThe European Union is a geo-political entity covering a large portion of the European continent. It is founded upon numerous treaties and has undergone expansions that have taken it from 7 member states to 27, a majority of states in Europe....
- Law of the European Union
- List of European Union-related topics
- Member State of the European UnionMember State of the European UnionA member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
- Microstates and the European UnionMicrostates and the European UnionThere are a number of microstates in Europe; due to their size, they are often closely linked with another larger state. Currently, the European microstates have special relations with the European Union....
- Opt-outs in the European UnionOpt-outs in the European UnionIn general, the law of the European Union is valid in all of the twenty-seven European Union member states. However, occasionally member states negotiate certain opt-outs from legislation or treaties of the European Union, meaning they do not have to participate in certain policy areas...
- Third country relationships with the European Union
- Withdrawal from the European Union
External links
- Information on the "Overseas countries and territories" from the European Commission
- Review of CARIFORUM-EU EPA - and Implications for the British and Durch Caribbean Octs - What the CARIFORUM-EU trade deal means for current EU territories