Special member state territories and the European Union | |
---|---|
Largest settlements | Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Willemstad, Saint-Denis, Funchal, Nouméa |
Official language |
|
Special territory | 9 Outermost Regions 13 Overseas Countries and Territories |
Area | |
• Total | 2,733,792 km2 (1,055,523 sq mi) |
Population | |
• Estimate | 6,114,658 |
Currency | Euro (EUR; €; OMRs, 3 OCTs [lower-alpha 1] and 9 special cases [lower-alpha 2] ) 5 others
|
Date format | dd/mm/yyyy (AD) |
This article is part of a series on |
European Unionportal |
The special territories of the European Union are 32 territories of EU member states which, for historical, geographical, or political reasons, enjoy special status within or outside the European Union.
The special territories divide themselves in three categories: nine Outermost Regions (OMR) that form part of the European Union, though they benefit from derogations from some EU laws due to their geographical remoteness from mainland Europe; thirteen Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) that do not form part of the European Union, though they cooperate with the EU via the Overseas Countries and Territories Association; and ten special cases that form part of the European Union (with the exception of the Faroe Islands), though EU laws make ad hoc provisions.
The Outermost Regions were recognised at the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, [1] and confirmed by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007. [2] The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that both primary and secondary European Union law applies automatically to the outermost regions, with possible derogations due to the particularities of these territories. The Overseas Countries and Territories are recognised by the Article 198 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which allows them to opt into EU provisions on the freedom of movement for workers and freedom of establishment, and invites them to join the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA) in order to improve cooperation with the European Union. [3] The status of an uninhabited territory, Clipperton, remains unclear since it is not explicitly mentioned in primary EU law and has a sui generis status at the national level. [4] [lower-alpha 4]
Collectively, the special territories encompass a population of some 6.1 million people and a land area of about 2,733,792 square kilometres (1,055,500 sq mi). Around 80 percent of this area is represented by Greenland. The largest region by population, the Canary Islands, accounts for more than a third of the total population of the special territories. The smallest by land area is the island of Saba in the Caribbean (13 km2 or 5 sq mi). The French Southern and Antarctic Lands is the only special territory without a permanent population.
The Outermost Regions (OMR) are territories forming part of a member state of the European Union but situated a significant distance from mainland Europe. Due to this situation, they have derogation from some EU policies despite being part of the European Union.
According to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, both primary and secondary European Union law applies automatically 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". [5] All form part of the European Union customs area; however, some fall outside of the Schengen Area and the European Union Value Added Tax Area.
Seven Outermost Regions were recognised at the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. [1] The Treaty of Lisbon included two additional territories (Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin) in 2007. [5] Saint Barthélemy changed its status from OMR to OCT with effect from 1 January 2012. [2] Mayotte, which was an OCT, joined the EU as an OMR with effect from 1 January 2014. [6]
The nine Outermost Regions of the European Union are: [7]
Flag | Coat of arms | Name | Location | Area | Pop. | Capital | Largest settlement | Official language | State |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Azores | North Atlantic | 2,333 km2 (901 sq mi) | 245,746 | Angra do Heroísmo, Horta and Ponta Delgada | Ponta Delgada | Portuguese | Portugal | ||
Madeira | 801 km2 (309 sq mi) | 289,000 | Funchal | Funchal | |||||
Canary Islands | 7,493 km2 (2,893 sq mi) | 2,101,924 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas | Las Palmas | Spanish | Spain | |||
French Guiana | South America | 83,534 km2 (32,253 sq mi) | 281,612 | Cayenne | Cayenne | French | France | ||
Guadeloupe | Caribbean | 1,628 km2 (629 sq mi) | 402,119 | Basse-Terre | Les Abymes | ||||
Martinique | 1,128 km2 (436 sq mi) | 385,551 | Fort-de-France | Fort-de-France | |||||
Saint Martin | 53 km2 (20 sq mi) | 36,286 | Marigot | Marigot | |||||
Mayotte | Indian Ocean | 374 km2 (144 sq mi) | 256,518 | Dzaoudzi (de jure), Mamoudzou (de facto) | Mamoudzou | ||||
La Réunion | 2,511 km2 (970 sq mi) | 865,826 | Saint-Denis | Saint-Denis | |||||
Total | 99,855 km2 (38,554 sq mi) | 4,864,582 |
Azores and Madeira are two groups of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic. Azores and Madeira are integral parts of the Portuguese Republic, but both have the special status as Autonomous Regions, with a degree of self-governance. Some derogations from the application of EU law apply in regards to taxation, fishing and transportation. [8] [9] Their VAT is lower than the rest of Portugal, but they are not outside the EU VAT Area.
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago off the African coast which form one of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain–the country's principal first-level administrative division. They are outside the EU VAT Area. [10] The Canary Islands are the most populous 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 on the island of Gran Canaria.
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion are five French overseas regions (which are also overseas departments) which under French law are, for the most part, treated as integral parts of the Republic. The euro is legal tender; [11] however, they are outside the Schengen Area and the EU VAT Area. [10]
Mayotte is the newest of the five overseas departments, having changed from an overseas collectivity with OCT status on 31 March 2011. It became an outermost region, and thus part of the EU, on 1 January 2014. [12]
Saint Martin is the only overseas collectivity of France with the status of being an outermost region of the EU. [13] As with the French overseas departments, the euro is legal tender in Saint Martin, and it is outside the Schengen Area and the EU VAT Area.
On 22 February 2007, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy were broken away from the French overseas department of Guadeloupe to form new overseas collectivities. As a consequence their EU status was unclear for a time. While a report issued by the French parliament suggested that the islands remained within the EU as outermost regions, [14] European Commission documents listed them as being outside the European Community. [15] The legal status of the islands was clarified on the coming into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, which listed them as an outermost region. [16] However, Saint Barthélemy ceased being an outermost region and left the EU, to become an OCT, on 1 January 2012.
The overseas countries and territories (OCT) are dependent territories that have a special relationship with one of the member states of the EU. Their status is described in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and they are not part of the EU or the European Single Market. The Overseas Countries and Territories Association was created to improve economic development and cooperation between the OCTs and the EU, [17] and includes most OCTs except three territories which do not have a permanent local population.
The OCTs have been explicitly invited by the EU treaty to join the EU-OCT Association (OCTA). [3] They were listed in the Article 198 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which aside from inviting them to join OCTA, also provided them the opportunity to opt into EU provisions on the freedom of movement for workers [18] and freedom of establishment. [19] Yet, the freedom of establishment is limited by Article 203 TFEU and the respective Council Decision on OCTs. Its Article 51(1)(a) prescribes only that "the Union shall accord to natural and legal persons of the OCTs a treatment no less favourable than the most favourable treatment applicable to like natural and legal persons of any third country with whom the Union concludes or has concluded an economic integration agreement." Again this can be, according to Article 51(2)(b) limited. The obligations provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to treatment granted under measures providing for recognition of qualifications, licences or prudential measures in accordance with Article VII of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) or the GATS Annex on Financial Services.
The OCTs are not subject to the EU's common external customs tariffs [20] but may claim customs on goods imported from the EU on a non-discriminatory basis. [21] They are not part of the EU and the EU acquis does not apply to them, though those joining OCTA are required to respect the detailed rules and procedures outlined by this association agreement (Council Decision 2013/755/EU). [22] OCTA members are entitled to ask for EU financial support. [23]
When the Rome Treaty was signed in March 1957, a total of 15 OCTs existed: French West Africa, French Equatorial Africa, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Comoros Archipelago, French Madagascar, French Somaliland, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, French Togoland, French Cameroons, Belgian Congo, Ruanda-Urundi, Trust Territory of Somalia, Netherlands New Guinea. The list was since then revised multiple times, and comprised—as noted by the Lisbon Treaty—25 OCTs in 2007. One of the French territories subsequently switched status from OMR to OCT (Saint Barthélemy), while another French territory switched from OCT to OMR (Mayotte). As of July 2014, there are still 13 OCTs (six with France, six with the Netherlands and one with Denmark) [24] of which all have joined OCTA.
The 13 Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union are: [25]
Flag | Coat of Arms | Name | Location | Area | Pop. | Capital | Largest settlement | Official language(s) | Sovereign State |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greenland | North Atlantic & Arctic | 2,166,086 km2 (836,330 sq mi) | 56,483 | Nuuk | Nuuk | Greenlandic | Kingdom of Denmark | ||
Curaçao | Caribbean | 444 km2 (171 sq mi) | 160,337 | Willemstad | Willemstad | Dutch, Papiamento, English | Kingdom of the Netherlands | ||
Aruba | 179 km2 (69 sq mi) | 104,822 | Oranjestad | Oranjestad | Dutch, Papiamento, English, Spanish | ||||
Sint Maarten | 37 km2 (14 sq mi) | 33,609 | Philipsburg | Lower Prince's Quarter | Dutch, English | ||||
Bonaire | 294 km2 (114 sq mi) | 18,905 | Kralendijk | Kralendijk | Dutch | ||||
Sint Eustatius | 21 km2 (8 sq mi) | 3,193 | Oranjestad | Oranjestad | |||||
Saba | 13 km2 (5 sq mi) | 1,991 | The Bottom | The Bottom | |||||
French Polynesia | Pacific | 4,167 km2 (1,609 sq mi) | 275,918 | Pape'ete | Fa'a'ā | French | French Republic | ||
New Caledonia | 18,576 km2 (7,172 sq mi) | 268,767 | Nouméa | Nouméa | |||||
Wallis-et-Futuna | 142 km2 (55 sq mi) | 11,899 | Mata-Utu | Mata-Utu | |||||
Saint Barthélemy | Caribbean | 25 km2 (10 sq mi) | 9,279 | Gustavia | Gustavia | ||||
Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon | North Atlantic | 242 km2 (93 sq mi) | 6,080 | Saint-Pierre | Saint-Pierre | ||||
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Indian Ocean & Antarctica | 439,781 km2 (169,800 sq mi) | 0 [lower-alpha 5] | Saint-Pierre | Port-aux-Français (base) | ||||
Total | 2,630,007 km2 (1,015,451 sq mi) | 945,893 |
The Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA) is an organisation founded on 17 November 2000 and headquartered in Brussels. All OCTs have joined OCTA as of February 2020. Its purpose is to improve economic development in overseas countries and territories, as well as cooperation with the European Union. On 25 June 2008, a Cooperation Treaty between the EU and OCTA was signed in Brussels. [26] The current chairman is Louis Mapou. [27]
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (which also include the French Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean, and the French claim of Adélie Land in Antarctica) is a French Overseas Territory but has no permanent population. [28] It has sui generis status within France. [29]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Barthélemy, 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". Saint Barthélemy [30] and Saint Pierre and Miquelon use the euro, [31] 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.
On 22 February 2007, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin were separated from the French overseas department of Guadeloupe to form new overseas collectivities. As a consequence, their EU status was unclear for a time. While a report issued by the French parliament suggested that the islands remained within the EU as outermost regions, [14] European Commission documents listed them as being outside the European Community. [15] The legal status of the islands was clarified on the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty which listed them as outermost regions. [16] However, Saint Barthélemy ceased being an outermost region and left the EU, to become an OCT, on 1 January 2012. The change was made to facilitate trade with countries outside the EU, notably the United States, [32] and was made possible by a provision of the Lisbon Treaty which allows the European Council to change the EU status of a Danish, Dutch, or French territory on the initiative of the member state concerned. [33]
Six territories of the Netherlands—all of which are Caribbean islands—have OCT status. As such, they benefit from being able to have their own export and import policy to and from the EU, while still having access to various EU funds (such as the European Development Fund). The inhabitants of the islands are EU citizens owing to their Dutch citizenship, with the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament. [34] Initially they did not have voting rights for such elections, but the European Court of Justice granted them such rights, when they ruled their exclusion from the franchise was contrary to EU law, as all other Dutch citizens resident outside the EU did have the right to vote. [35] None of the islands use the euro as their currency. The US dollar is used on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, while Curaçao and Sint Maarten utilize their own shared currency the Antillean guilder, and finally the currency of Aruba is the Aruban florin. [34]
Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten are classified as "countries" under Dutch law, and have considerable internal autonomy. In June 2008, the Dutch government published a report on the projected effect on the islands were they to join the EU as outermost regions. [36] [37] It concluded that the choice would be for the islands themselves to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of becoming part of the EU as outermost regions, and that nothing would be done absent the islands specifically requesting it. [38]
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (collectively called Caribbean Netherlands) are "special municipalities" of the Netherlands proper. Their current OCT status, and the prospect of advancing their status to become part of the EU as new OMRs (outermost regions), was reviewed by the Dutch parliament in 2015, [39] as part of the planned review of the Dutch law (WOLBES and FINBES) concerning the quality of their recently implemented new public administration bodies. [40] In October 2015, the review concluded the present legal structures for governance and integration with European Netherlands was not working well within the framework of WolBES, but no recommendations were made in regards of whether a switch from OCT to OMR status would help improve this situation. [41] [42] [43] [44]
The islands inherited their OCT status from the Netherlands Antilles which was dissolved in 2010. The Netherlands Antilles 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 in Europe and Netherlands New Guinea only, which it subsequently did. [45] 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 became OCTs.
Greenland joined the then European Community in 1973 as a county along with Denmark, but after gaining autonomy with the introduction of home rule within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland voted to leave in 1982 and left in 1985, to become an OCT. The main reason for leaving is disagreements about the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and to regain control of Greenlandic fish resources to subsequently remain outside EU waters. Greenlandic nationals (OCT-nationals) are, nonetheless, EU citizens due to Greenland's associated relationship with the EU within the meaning of EU treaties as well as holding Danish nationality.[ citation needed ]
The EU–Greenland relationship is a comprehensive partnership, which is complementary to the OCT association arrangements under "Council Decision 2013/755/EU"; based specifically on "Council Decision 2014/137 of 14 March 2014" (outlining the relations) [46] and the Fisheries Partnership Agreement of 30 July 2006. [47]
While the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories fall into structured categories to which common mechanisms apply, this is not true of all the special territories. 10 member state territories have ad hoc arrangements in their relationship with the EU. In those special cases, VAT rules do not apply and they may also be exempt from customs or excise rules. [48] [49]
Flag | Coat of Arms | Name | Area | Pop. | Sovereign State | Official language(s) | Part of the EU | Customs Union [48] | VAT rules [48] | Excise rules [48] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Melilla | 12.3 km2 (5 sq mi) | 86,384 | Spain | Spanish | Yes | No | No | No | ||
Ceuta | 18.5 km2 (7 sq mi) | 85,144 | Yes | No | No | No | ||||
Åland | 1,580 km2 (610 sq mi) | 30,129 | Finland | Swedish | Yes | Yes | No | No | ||
Faroe Islands | 1,399 km2 (540 sq mi) | 52,337 | Denmark | Faroese, Danish | No | No | No | No | ||
United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus [lower-alpha 6] | 346 km2 (134 sq mi) | 8,686 [53] | Cyprus ( de jure ) | Greek (de jure) | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 7] | No [55] | Yes [lower-alpha 7] | ||
Livigno | 227.3 km2 (88 sq mi) | 6,721 | Italy | Italian | Yes | No | No | No | ||
Campione d'Italia [lower-alpha 8] | 2.68 km2 (1 sq mi) | 1,961 | Yes | Yes [56] | No | Yes [56] | ||||
Büsingen am Hochrhein | 7.62 km2 (3 sq mi) | 1,536 | Germany | German | Yes | No | No | No | ||
Heligoland | 1.7 km2 (1 sq mi) | 1,265 | Yes | No | No | No | ||||
Monastic community of Mount Athos | 335.63 km2 (130 sq mi) | 1,811 | Greece | Greek (de jure) [lower-alpha 9] | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ||
Total | 3,930 km2 (1,517 sq mi) | 303,283 |
Åland, an autonomous archipelago belonging to Finland, but with partial autonomy, located between Sweden and Finland, with a Swedish-speaking population, joined the EU along with Finland in 1995. The islands had a separate referendum on accession and like the Finnish mainland voted in favour.
EU law, including the fundamental four freedoms, applies to Åland. [57] However, there are some derogations due to the islands' special status. Åland is outside the VAT area [10] and is exempt from common rules in relation to turnover taxes, excise duties and indirect taxation. [58] In addition, to protect the local economy, the treaty of accession allows for a concept of hembygdsrätt/kotiseutuoikeus (regional citizenship). Consequently, there are restrictions on the holding of property and real estate, the right of establishment for business purposes and limitations on who can provide services in Åland, for people not holding this status. [59] The status may be obtained by any Finnish citizen legally resident in Åland for 5 years who can demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the Swedish language. [60]
The German village of Büsingen am Hochrhein is an exclave entirely surrounded by Switzerland, and as such is, for practical purposes, in a customs union with the latter non-EU country. [61] The euro is legal tender, though the Swiss franc is preferred. [62] Büsingen is excluded from the EU customs union and the EU VAT area. [10] Swiss VAT generally applies. [63] Büsingen was also outside of the Schengen area until Switzerland joined on 12 December 2008[ citation needed ].
The Italian exclave village of Campione d'Italia is enclaved by Switzerland's Ticino canton as well as Lake Lugano (or Ceresio), and is a comune in the Province of Como, whilst Livigno, a small and remote mountain resort town, is a comune in the Province of Sondrio. Both comuni are part of the Lombardy region. Although part of the EU, Livigno is excluded from the customs union and VAT area, with Livigno's tax status dating back to Napoleonic times. Campione is excluded from the EU VAT area. It was excluded from the EU customs area until the end of 2019. [10] [64] Shops and restaurants in Campione accept payments in both euros and Swiss francs, and prices are displayed in both euros and Swiss francs. [65]
Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish cities on the North African coast. They are part of the EU but they are excluded from the common agricultural and fisheries policies. [66] They are also outside the customs union and VAT area, [10] 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.
While nominally part of the Schengen Area (Schengen visas are valid), Spain performs identity checks on all sea and air passengers leaving the enclaves for elsewhere in the Schengen Area. [67]
Small islands scattered along the northern coast of Africa, collectively known as plazas de soberanía are also integral parts of Spain since the 15th century, and therefore also part of the European Union.[ citation needed ]. Their currency is the euro. They in general need permission to visit, so therefore identity is checked upon arrival[ citation needed ]. They are claimed by Morocco.
When the Republic of Cyprus became part of the European Union on 1 May 2004, the northern third of the island was outside of the effective control of its government due to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, 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 protocols 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. [68] If the island is reunified, the Council of the European Union will repeal the suspension by a decision. Four months after such a decision has been adopted, new elections to the European Parliament will be held on the island to elect Cypriot representatives from the whole of the island. [69]
Cypriot nationality law applies to the entire island and is accordingly available to the inhabitants of Northern Cyprus and the British sovereign base areas on the same basis as to those born in the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. [70] [71] Citizens of the Republic of Cyprus living in Northern Cyprus are EU citizens and are nominally entitled to vote in elections to the European Parliament; however, elections to that Parliament are not organised in Northern Cyprus as it is governed de facto by a separate state, albeit a state recognized only by Turkey. [72]
The United Kingdom has two sovereign base areas on Cyprus, namely Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Unlike other British overseas territories, their inhabitants (who are entitled to British Overseas Territories Citizenship) have never been entitled to British citizenship.
Prior to Cypriot accession to the EU in 2004, although the United Kingdom was an EU member at the time, EU law did not apply to the sovereign base areas. [73] This position was changed by the Cypriot accession treaty so that EU law, while still not applying in principle, applied to the extent necessary to implement a protocol attached to that treaty. [74] This protocol applied EU law relating to the Common Agricultural Policy, customs, indirect taxation, social policy and justice and home affairs to the sovereign base areas. The sovereign base areas' authorities also made provision for the unilateral application of directly applicable EU law. [75] The UK also agreed in the Protocol to keep enough control of the external (i.e. off-island and northern Cyprus) borders of the base areas to ensure that the border between the sovereign base areas and the Republic of Cyprus could remain fully open and would not have to be policed as an external EU border. Consequently, the sovereign base areas would have become a de facto part of the Schengen Area if and when Cyprus implemented it. The base areas are already de facto members of the eurozone due to their previous use of the Cypriot pound and their adoption of the euro as legal tender from 2008. [76]
Because Cypriot nationality law extends to Cypriots in the sovereign base areas, Cypriot residents, as citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, are entitled to EU citizenship. Just under half of the population of the sovereign base areas are Cypriots, the rest are British military personnel, support staff and their dependants. [77] In a declaration attached to the Treaty of Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus of 1960, the British government undertook not to allow new settlement of people in the sovereign base areas other than for temporary purposes. [78]
Under a protocol to the Brexit withdrawal agreement, certain provisions of EU law on agriculture, customs, indirect taxation, social security and border control continue to apply to the sovereign base areas. [79]
This section needs to be updated.(May 2019) |
The United Nations buffer zone 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 8,686 (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". [53] Inhabited villages located in the buffer zone are legally administered by the Republic of Cyprus but policed by UN peacekeepers. [50] Article 2.1 of the Cyprus Protocol [68] allows the European Council to determine to what extent the provisions of EU law apply in the buffer zone. [80]
The Faroe Islands are not part of the EU, and they have not been part of the EU since Denmark joined the community in 1973. Danish citizens residing on the islands are not considered citizens of a member state within the meaning of the treaties or, consequently, citizens of the European Union. [81] However, Faroese people 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 and the Schengen Agreement provides that travellers passing between the islands and the Schengen Area are not to be treated as passing the external frontier of the Area. [82] This means that there is no formal passport control, but an identity check at check-in for air or boat travel to the islands where Nordic citizens on intra-Nordic travel need no passport, only showing the ticket plus identity card. [83]
Heligoland is an archipelago of Germany situated in the North Sea 70 km (43 mi) off the German north-western coast. It is part of the EU, but is excluded from the customs union and the VAT area. [10]
Monastic community of Mount Athos is an autonomous monastic region of Greece. Greece's EU accession treaty provides that Mount Athos maintains its centuries-old special legal status, [84] guaranteed by article 105 of the Greek Constitution. It is part of the customs union but outside the VAT area. [10] Notwithstanding that a special permit is required to enter the peninsula and that there is a prohibition on the admittance of women, it is part of the Schengen Area. [85] The monastery has certain rights to house monks from countries outside the EU. 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. [86]
The Saimaa Canal and Värska–Ulitina road are two of several distinct travel arrangements that exist or existed because of changes in borders over the course of the 20th century, where transport routes and installations ended up on the wrong side of the border. Some have become superfluous thanks to the Schengen Agreement. These listed examples pass the external EU border.
Finland leases the 19.6 kilometres (12.2 mi)-long Russian part of the Saimaa Canal from Russia and is granted extraterritoriality rights. [87] The area is not part of the EU, it is a special part of Russia. Under the treaty signed by Finnish and Russian governments, 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. [87] Euros are accepted for the canal fees. Prior to the 50-year lease renewal coming into effect in February 2012, the Maly Vysotsky Island had also been leased and managed by Finland. Since then it has been fully managed by Russian authorities, and is no longer part of the concession territory.
The road from Värska to Ulitina in Estonia, traditionally the only road to the Ulitina area, goes through Russian territory for one kilometre (0.6 mi) of its length, an area called Saatse Boot. [88] This road has no border control, but there is no connection to any other road in Russia. It is not permissible to stop or walk along the road. This area is a part of Russia but is also a de facto part of the Schengen area.
Some roads and railways along the border of Switzerland allow transit between two Swiss places though neighbour countries without customs controls (and before 2008 passport controls), or between the border and international airports. See Privileged transit traffic#Switzerland.
Many currently independent states or parts of such were previously territories of the following EU members since the latter joined the EU or, previously the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC):
Most of these territories seceded before the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 and the following years, meaning that cooperation 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:
The United Kingdom left the EU in 2020. When it was a member, some of its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories were partially integrated with the EU.
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 following areas are still special member state territories, but have changed their status. See their entries in the article for details.
Some European countries are strongly connected to the European Union. These countries are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, and the Vatican City. However, all of them remain outside the customs territory and VAT area. Further specific arrangements are as follows:
Additionally, the three microstates along with Andorra are authorised to use and mint the euro:
Moreover, the United Kingdom is not a member state of the EU anymore, nevertheless, it has remained an associated country of the Euratom and is set to continue as host and participant of the EU's Joint European Torus Joint Undertaking, while some of its territories are to remain partially integrated with the EU:
Countries and territories | Application of EU law | EURATOM | Schengen area | EU VAT area | EU customs territory | EU single market | Eurozone | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andorra | Partial | No | No | No | Partial [Note 1] | No | Yes | |||
Iceland | Partial | No | Yes | No | No | With exemptions, in EEA [109] | ISK | |||
Liechtenstein | Partial | No | Yes | Swiss–Liechtenstein VAT area | Swiss–Liechtenstein customs territory | With exemptions, in EEA [109] | CHF | |||
Norway, except: | Partial | No | Yes | No | No | With exemptions, in EEA [109] | NOK | |||
Svalbard | Partial | No | No [110] | VAT free [101] | No | No [109] [111] | NOK | |||
Jan Mayen | Partial | No | Yes [110] [112] | VAT free [101] | No | Like rest of Norway [109] | NOK | |||
Bouvet Island | No | No | No | No | No | No | NOK | |||
Peter I Island | No | No | No | No | No | No | NOK | |||
Queen Maud Land | No | No | No | No | No | No | NOK | |||
Monaco | Partial | No | De facto [Note 2] | Yes [Note 3] | Yes [Note 4] [Note 5] | Goods only, de facto | Yes | |||
Switzerland, except: | Partial | Associated state | Yes | Swiss–Liechtenstein VAT area | Swiss–Liechtenstein customs territory | With exemptions, not in EEA [117] | CHF | |||
Samnaun | Partial | Associated state | Yes | VAT free [103] | Swiss–Liechtenstein customs territory | With exemptions, not in EEA [117] | CHF | |||
San Marino | Partial | No | de facto | No | Partial [Note 6] [Note 7] | No | Yes | |||
United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies, except: | No | Associated state | CTA | No | No | No | GBP | |||
Northern Ireland | Partial [lower-alpha 12] | Associated state | CTA | Goods only, de facto | Goods only, de facto | Goods only, de facto | GBP | |||
Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Partial [79] | Associated state | Set to implement later [lower-alpha 13] | Yes [79] | Yes [79] | Partial [lower-alpha 14] | Yes [119] | |||
Gibraltar | Partial | Associated state | Set to implement later [120] | No | Set to implement later [120] | Partial | GIP | |||
Other British Overseas Territories | No | Associated state | No | No | No | No | Various | |||
Vatican City | Partial | No | de facto | No | No | No | Yes | |||
Countries and territories | Application of EU law | EURATOM | Schengen area | EU VAT area | EU customs territory | EU single market | Eurozone |
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 Union 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. [121]
Member states and territories | Application of EU law | EURATOM | EU citizenship | EU elections | Schengen area | EU VAT area | EU customs territory | EU single market | Eurozone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cyprus, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Set to implement later [lower-alpha 13] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
UN Buffer Zone | With exemptions | ? | Yes | No | No | No | Yes [lower-alpha 15] | With exemptions [lower-alpha 16] | Yes | |
Northern Cyprus | Suspended | No | Cypriot citizens [lower-alpha 17] | No | No | No | No [123] | No [124] | De facto TRY | |
Denmark, except: | Yes [lower-alpha 18] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | DKK (ERM II) | |
Greenland | Minimal (OCT) [24] | No [125] | Yes | No | No | No | No [123] | Partial [126] | DKK (ERM II) | |
Faroe Islands | No | No [127] | No | No | No | No | No [123] | Minimal (FTA) [121] [128] | DKK (ERM II) | |
Finland, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Åland Islands | With exemptions | Yes [129] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes [123] | With exemptions | Yes | |
France, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
French Guiana | With exemptions (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | VAT free | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Guadeloupe | With exemptions (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | Low-rate VAT | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Martinique | With exemptions (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | Low-rate VAT | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Réunion | With exemptions (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | Low-rate VAT | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Mayotte | With exemptions (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | VAT free | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Saint Martin | With exemptions (OMR) [131] | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | Low-rate VAT | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes [132] | |
Saint Barthélemy | Minimal (OCT) [24] | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | No | No | Partial [126] | Yes [132] | |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Minimal (OCT) [24] | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | No | No [123] | Partial [126] | Yes [132] | |
Wallis and Futuna | Minimal (OCT) [24] | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | No | No [123] | Partial [126] | XPF, pegged to EUR | |
French Polynesia | Minimal (OCT) [24] | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | No | No [123] | Partial [126] | XPF, pegged to EUR | |
New Caledonia | Minimal (OCT) [24] | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 19] | No [130] | No | No [123] | Partial [126] | XPF, pegged to EUR | |
French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Minimal (OCT) [24] | Yes | Yes | No [lower-alpha 20] | No [130] | No | No [123] | Partial [126] | Yes [133] | |
Clipperton Island | ? | Yes [134] | Yes [133] | No [lower-alpha 20] | No [130] | ? | ? | ? | Yes [133] | |
Germany, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Büsingen am Hochrhein | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Participating with Switzerland [lower-alpha 21] | No | No [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Heligoland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | VAT free | No [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Greece, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Mount Athos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | VAT free [10] | Yes [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Italy, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Livigno | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | VAT free | No [123] | Yes | Yes | |
Campione d'Italia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes [lower-alpha 21] | Low-rate VAT | Yes [64] | Yes | Yes | |
Netherlands , except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Bonaire | Minimal (OCT) [24] | No [lower-alpha 22] | Yes | Yes | No [130] | No | No [135] | Partial [126] | USD [136] | |
Saba | Minimal (OCT) [24] | No [lower-alpha 22] | Yes | Yes | No [130] | No | No [135] | Partial [126] | USD [136] | |
Sint Eustatius | Minimal (OCT) [24] | No [lower-alpha 22] | Yes | Yes | No [130] | No | No [135] | Partial [126] | USD [136] | |
Curaçao | Minimal (OCT) [24] | No [137] | Yes | Yes | No [130] | No | No [135] | Partial [126] | ANG [lower-alpha 23] | |
Sint Maarten | Minimal (OCT) [24] | No [137] | Yes | Yes | No [130] | No | No [135] | Partial [126] | ANG [lower-alpha 23] | |
Aruba | Minimal (OCT) [24] | ? [127] [138] | Yes | Yes | No [130] | No | No [135] | Partial [126] | AWG | |
Portugal, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Azores | Yes (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Local rate | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Madeira | Yes (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Local rate | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Spain, except: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Canary Islands | With exemptions (OMR) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | VAT free | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Ceuta | With exemptions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial [lower-alpha 24] | VAT free | No | Yes | Yes | |
Melilla | With exemptions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial [lower-alpha 24] | VAT free | No | Yes | Yes | |
Member states and territories | Application of EU law | EURATOM | EU citizenship | EU elections | Schengen area | EU VAT area | EU customs territory | EU single market | Eurozone | |
Legend for the "Application of EU law" column: Full. Part of the EU. [140] — Minimal or none. Not part of the EU territory. |
Summary for member states that do not have special-status territories, but do not participate in certain EU provisions as they are either not yet eligible or have an opt-out.
Member states and territories | Application of EU law | EURATOM | EU citizenship | EU elections | Schengen area | EU VAT area | EU customs territory | EU single market | Eurozone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bulgaria | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Set to implement later | Yes | Yes | Yes | BGN | |
Croatia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Set to implement later | Yes | Yes | Yes | HRK | |
Czech Republic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | CZK | |
Hungary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HUF | |
Ireland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | CTA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Poland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | PLN | |
Romania | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Set to implement later | Yes | Yes | Yes | RON | |
Sweden | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | SEK |
A list of the remaining member states which do not have special-status territories, and participate in all EU provisions:
Austria
Belgium
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Slovakia
Slovenia
The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was a European organization created after World War II to regulate the coal and steel industries. It was formally established in 1951 by the Treaty of Paris, signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. The ECSC was an international organization based on the principle of supranationalism, and started a process of integration which ultimately led to the creation of the European Union.
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957, aiming to foster economic integration among its member states. It was subsequently renamed the European Community (EC) upon becoming integrated into the first pillar of the newly formed European Union in 1993. In the popular language, however, the singular European Community was sometimes inaccuratelly used in the wider sense of the plural European Communities, in spite of the latter designation covering all the three constituent entities of the first pillar.
The Treaty of Rome, or EEC Treaty, brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). The treaty was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany, and it came into force on 1 January 1958. Originally the "Treaty establishing the European Economic Community", and now continuing under the name "Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union", it remains one of the two most important treaties in what is now the European Union (EU).
The European Atomic Energy Community is an international organisation established by the Euratom Treaty on 25 March 1957 with the original purpose of creating a specialist market for nuclear power in Europe, by developing nuclear energy and distributing it to its member states while selling the surplus to non-member states. However, over the years its scope has been considerably increased to cover a large variety of areas associated with nuclear power and ionising radiation as diverse as safeguarding of nuclear materials, radiation protection and construction of the International Fusion Reactor ITER.
The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria, which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws.
The European Communities (EC) were three international organizations that were governed by the same set of institutions. These were the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Community, and the European Economic Community (EEC); the last of which was renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty establishing the European Union. The European Union was established at that time more as a concept rather than an entity, while the Communities remained the actual subjects of international law impersonating the rather abstract Union, becoming at the same time its first pillar. In the popular language, however, the singular European Community was sometimes inaccurately used interchangeably with the plural phrase, in the sense of referring to all three entities. The European Coal and Steel Community ceased to exist in 2002 when its founding treaty expired. The European Community was merged with the second and third EU pillars by the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009, finally allowing the European Union to finally move beyond being only a concept and to assume the shape of a legally incorporated international organization with juridical personality, designated as the legal successor to the Community. However, the reformed EU has not become entirely unified, because Euratom, though governed with the EU by the common set of institutions, has been retained as an entity distinct from the EU, along with a number of other international entities, such as the European Investment Bank, the European University Institute, the European Stability Mechanism, and the Unified Patent Court.
European integration is the process of industrial, economic, political, legal, social, and cultural integration of states wholly or partially in Europe or nearby. European integration has primarily come about through the European Union (EU) and its policies, but also by the Council of Europe, the European Patent Organisation, the European Space Agency, and the NATO.
The Merger Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Brussels, was a European treaty which unified the executive institutions of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the European Economic Community (EEC). The treaty was signed in Brussels on 8 April 1965 and came into force on 1 July 1967. It set out that the Commission of the European Communities should replace the High Authority of the ECSC, the Commission of the EEC and the Commission of Euratom, and that the Council of the European Communities should replace the Special Council of Ministers of the ECSC, the Council of the EEC and the Council of Euratom. Although each Community remained legally independent, they shared common institutions and were together known as the European Communities. This treaty is regarded by some as the real beginning of the modern European Union.
Between 1993 and 2009, the European Union (EU) legally comprised three pillars. This structure was introduced with the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993, and was eventually abandoned on 1 December 2009 upon the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, when the EU obtained a consolidated legal personality.
The Euratom Treaty, officially the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, established the European Atomic Energy Community. It was signed on 25 March 1957 at the same time as the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community.
The year 1948 marked the beginning of the institutionalised modern European integration. With the start of the Cold War, the Treaty of Brussels was signed in 1948 establishing the Western Union (WU) as the first organisation. In the same year, the International Authority for the Ruhr and the Organization for European Economic Co-operation, the predecessor of the OECD, were also founded, followed in 1949 by the Council of Europe, and in 1951 by the European Coal and Steel Community, with the ensuing moves to create further communities leading to the Treaty of Rome (1957)
This is a timeline of European Union history and its previous development.
The European Union Customs Union (EUCU), formally known as the Community Customs Union, is a customs union which consists of all the member states of the European Union (EU), Monaco, and the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Some detached territories of EU states do not participate in the customs union, usually as a result of their geographic separation. In addition to the EUCU, the EU is in customs unions with Andorra, San Marino and Turkey, through separate bilateral agreements.
For elections in the European Union, Overseas Territories was a European Parliament constituency in France until the 2019 European Parliament election. It consisted of all the inhabited French overseas departments and collectivities, even if their territory is not part of the European Union. Constitutionally, all French citizens are also granted the same European citizenship, consequently all of them elected representatives in the European Parliament, independently of their area of residence.
The Schengen Area is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice policy of the EU, it mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes. The area is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in Schengen, Luxembourg.
The European Union value-added tax is a value added tax on goods and services within the European Union (EU). The EU's institutions do not collect the tax, but EU member states are each required to adopt in national legislation a value added tax that complies with the EU VAT code. Different rates of VAT apply in different EU member states, ranging from 17% in Luxembourg to 27% in Hungary. The total VAT collected by member states is used as part of the calculation to determine what each state contributes to the EU's budget.
There are seven recognised candidates for membership of the European Union: Turkey, North Macedonia (2004), Montenegro (2008), Albania (2009), Serbia (2009), Ukraine (2022), and Moldova (2022). Additionally, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Kosovo are considered potential candidates for membership by the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia have formally submitted applications for membership, while Kosovo has a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, which generally precedes the lodging of a membership application.
Relations between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) are governed, since 1 January 2021, by the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
The External relations of the Bailiwick of Jersey are conducted by the External Relations department of the Government of Jersey. Jersey is not an independent state; it is a British Crown dependency, so internationally the United Kingdom is responsible for protecting the island and for consulting Jersey on international trade agreements but it is not a British territory.
The Treaties of the European Union are a set of international treaties between the European Union (EU) member states which sets out the EU's constitutional basis. They establish the various EU institutions together with their remit, procedures and objectives. The EU can only act within the competences granted to it through these treaties and amendment to the treaties requires the agreement and ratification of every single signatory.
approximately 15,700 live on the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia including 7,700 Cypriots, 3,600 Service and UK-based contract personnel, and 4,400 dependents
(...) van het Verdrag tot oprichting van de Europese Gemeenschap voor Atoomenergie (Euratom) (Tr. 1957, 92). Dit verdrag geldt niet voor Curaçao en Sint Maarten.