Micro States and the EU

Gangerolf · September 23, 2003, 04:47

Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican. What's their relationship with the EU? Are they de facto members? I think they have their own euro coins? Could they become members, or are they just too small?

Luxembourg and Malta (soon to join) are pretty damn small as well, but they have larger pops (~400 000) than the ones above (all less than 40 000 IIRC).

Liechtenstein is a member of EFTA and uses Swiss francs.

And what about semi-independent areas like the Channel Islands, the Faroes, Gibraltar, Åland etc.

Enlighten me!

edit: typos

Harovan · September 23, 2003, 04:53

San Marino has own Euro coins. They are, however, so rare, that none of them are actually in use (they mainly use italian coins instead). They're exclusively in the hand of collectors.

Thue · September 23, 2003, 05:00

The Faroes are part of Denmark. Since Denmark does not use the euro they don't either. The Faroes use Danish kroner, but have their own notes and coins for them.

Proteus_MST · September 23, 2003, 05:06

The Vatican has its own Euro Coins.
They are rare outside of the Vatican, as only a small number gets minted each year, and therefore they are in great demand by coin collectors.

Gangerolf · September 23, 2003, 05:15

Are the Faroes in the EU? I really should know this

Greenland isn't. The only "country" ever to secede from the union!

DAVOUT · September 23, 2003, 05:44

Luxembourg was one of the six founding countries with Belgium, Nederland, Germany, Italy and France, through the first treaty setting up a Community for Coal and Iron.

laurentius · September 23, 2003, 05:44

Åland is also part of Finland so they are in EU and use finnish euro coins. The biggest difference to the inland is their tax-free status

Starchild · September 23, 2003, 08:31

The microstates aren't EU members but are, I think, represented in part by actual memberstates. So Italy handles Vatican City issues, France deals with Andorra, etc. I know that for the euro, the microstates have their own designs on euro coins minted as part of the quota assigned to their "protector" state. So the Vatican euro coins came out of Italy's quota for production.

The microstates are too small to have any meaningful participation in the EU and are, more or less, along for the ride.

CerberusIV · September 23, 2003, 08:33

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are part of the UK and therefore in the EU. Not sure about Gibraltar but I think it is in.

Starchild · September 23, 2003, 08:49

The interesting thing that will come is when/if the UK joins the euro. Some of the channel islands (all? or just Jersey?) aren't part of the UK but are protected by the Crown and are part of the UK "pound zone" currency union. I've read reports that Jersey will leave this arrangement with the UK if we join the euro and will keep the pound for itself.

CerberusIV · September 23, 2003, 08:53

Jersey relies on the tourist trade. If the UK goes euro, they will have to trade in euros too. I suppose they could possibly keep printing pound notes to sell to collectors.

FrustratedPoet · September 23, 2003, 09:41

I can't see how Jersey's businesses could really survive if the two large countries it depends on for its trade both used the Euro while it stuck with the Pound.