Opting out

Certain EU Member States have what are known as opt-outs, which are a means of ensuring that when a given Member State does not want to take part in a particular field of EU policy, it can opt out, thus avoiding an overall stalemate.

Examples of opt-outs include:

• Schengen Agreement: Ireland;
• economic and monetary union: Denmark;
• defence: Denmark;
• EU Charter of Fundamental Rights: Poland;
• area of freedom, security and justice: Denmark and Ireland (the latter may opt into given initiatives if it wishes).

SEE ALSO

• Charter of Fundamental Rights
• Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
• Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
• Enhanced cooperation
• European Council
• Area of freedom security and justice
• EU justice policy
• Schengen (Agreement and Convention).