Special Member State Territories and The European Union - Former Special Territories

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 Somaliland, 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 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:

• Cambodia (gained independence from France in 1953), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Laos (gained independence from France in 1954), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Vietnam (gained independence from France in 1954), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Tunisia (gained independence from France in 1956), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Morocco (gained independence from France in 1956), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Guinea (gained independence from France in 1958), was with OCT status
• Cameroon (French-administered part gained independence from France in 1960 along with some of UK-administered parts); was with OCT status for the French part
• Togo (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Mali (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Senegal (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Madagascar (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• DR Congo (gained independence from Belgium in 1960), was with OCT status
• Somalia (Italian-administered part gained independence from Italy in 1960 along with UK-administered part); was with OCT status for the Italian part
• Benin (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Niger (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Burkina Faso (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Ivory Coast (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Chad (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Central African Republic (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Congo (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Gabon (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Mauritania (gained independence from France in 1960), was with OCT status
• Burundi (gained independence from Belgium in 1962), was with OCT status
• Rwanda (gained independence from Belgium in 1962), was with OCT status
• Netherlands New Guinea (transferred from Netherlands to UN in 1962, later merged with Indonesia), was with OCT status
• Suriname (gained independence from Netherlands in 1975), was with OCT status, EURATOM application unsure.
• Algeria (gained independence from France in 1962), was with status similar to OMR
• Bahamas (gained independence from UK in 1973), was with OCT status
• Grenada (gained independence from UK in 1973), was with OCT status
• Comoros (gained independence from France in 1962), was with OCT status
• Seychelles (gained independence from UK in 1976), was with OCT status
• French Somaliland (gained independence from France as Djibouti in 1977), was with OCT status
• Solomon Islands (gained independence from UK in 1976), was with OCT status
• Tuvalu (gained independence from UK in 1978), was with OCT status
• Dominica (gained independence from UK in 1978), was with OCT status
• Saint Lucia (gained independence from UK in 1979), was with OCT status
• Kiribati (gained independence from UK in 1979), was with OCT status
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (gained independence from UK in 1979), was with OCT status
• Zimbabwe (gained independence from UK in 1980), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Vanuatu (gained independence from UK and France in 1980), generally was with OCT status
• Belize (gained independence from UK in 1981), was with OCT status
• Antigua and Barbuda (gained independence from UK in 1981), was with OCT status
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (gained independence from UK in 1983), was with OCT status
• Brunei (gained independence from UK in 1984), was with OCT status
• Hong Kong (sovereignty transferred from the UK to the PRC in 1997), no Community treaty applied there, besides ECSC preferences
• Macau (sovereignty transferred from Portugal to the PRC in 1999), EURATOM was applicable, besides the ECSC preferences
• Timor-Leste (gained independence from UN 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 Kleinwalsertal and Jungholz 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 customs and currency union with Germany 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 Agreement for Austria (1997) and the introduction of the euro (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.
• Saar (merged with West Germany on 1 January 1957), was fully part of the Community as French-administered European territory
• West Berlin (merged with West Germany on 3 October 1990), was with full application of the treaties