92001E2398

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2398/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(20 August 2001)

Subject: EU secession

Will the Commission describe the means by which certain geographical areas which were once within the European Union seceded from EU membership? Does it regard this as a precedent for any future Member State secession?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2001)

The only case of secession from the Union concerns Greenland, a Danish territory in which the Community Treaties have not been applicable, or have been applicable only on a limited basis, since 1985. Other territories belonging to Member States were excluded from the EC Treaty at the time of conclusion of the founding Treaties or Treaties of Accession. The Greenland question was settled by a Treaty between Denmark and the European Community in accordance with the provisions of the EC Treaty allowing the Community to conclude agreements. The negotiations followed a referendum in Greenland. The Greenland Treaty was ratified by the Member States. It dates from the mid-19Il est difficile de considérer lIt dates form the mid-1980s and cannot be seen as a precedent for a Member State for two reasons: first, at the time the Member States and the inotamment institutions declared that it was an exceptional situation;. second, because Greenland is not a European State within the meaning of Article 49 of the Union Treaty.