The Overseas Association Decision (OAD)

The OCTs are not part of the territory of the European Union, but because of their special relationship with four EU Member States (Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom), they have been associated with the EU since the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Their relations are governed by the Overseas Association Decisions (OAD) adopted by the Council of the European Union.

 

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In Detail

An implementing convention annexed to the Treaty of Rome of 25 March 1957 laid down the terms and conditions for the association of the overseas countries and territories with the Community for the first five years following the entry into force of the Treaty, i.e. until 31 December 1962. Thereafter, the detailed provisions and procedures for the association of the OCTs with the EC were the subject of decisions adopted by the Council. 
The Overseas Association Decision of 27 November 2001 was extended in 2007 until 31 December 2013 to coincide with the duration of the 10th European Development Fund and the Multiannual Financial Framework 2007-2013.
The OAD of 25 November 2013 covered the period 2014-2020. The association pursues the general objectives set out in Article 199 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, by increasing the competitiveness of the OCTs, strengthening their adaptability, reducing their economic and environmental vulnerability and promoting their cooperation with other partners.
Council Decision 2021/1764 of 5 October 2021 sets out the framework for the association of the Overseas Countries and Territories with the European Union, applicable from 1 January 2021. 
Link to the Overseas Association Decision, including Greenland (OADG):
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021D1764...

The Decision does not concern the 12 overseas countries and territories (OCTs) linked to the United Kingdom, given the Brexit. It concerns all Danish, Dutch and French OCTs, merging the Greenland Decision with the DAOG. 

In line with the European Commission's proposal to budgetize the EDF, the funds for both Greenland and the other OCTs come from the new budget heading "Neighborhood and the World". For the period 2021-2027, EU financial support for the OCTs and Greenland amounts to EUR 500 million.