The French Overseas Departments and the European Union

Abstract

The relationship between the European Community and the French Overseas Departments, integrated within the French Republic since 1946, has been subject to the process of almost continuous change. The current economic and institutional definition of the Overseas Departments’ position is a relatively recent construct — and it is one which requires certain adjustments to our traditional perceptions and expectations. These can only be realized within a project of development which must not be expressed in purely economic terms, since the cultural dimension has an important, if not crucial, role to play in this, as in so many other areas.