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COM (85) 686 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0244 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this f ile is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27 .9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COMC85) 686 f in a l
B ru s s e ls , 4 December 1985
Change in  the  s ta tu s  of S aint P ie rre  and Miquelon
(Communication from the  Commission to  the  C o un cil)
C0MC85) 686 f i n a l

C  O tf  . (d ?  £ >
Change in  the  s ta tu s  o f S aint P ie rre  and M iquelon 
(Communication from the Commission to  the C ouncil)
By le t t e r  o f 16 J u ly  1985 the Permanent R e presentation o f France 
inform ed the Commission o f a French law o f 11 June 1985 changing 
S aint P ie rre  and M iquelon, fo r  the purposes o f th e  French 
c o n s titu tio n , from an overseas d e p a rtm e n t,to  a " C o lle c t iv it é  
t e r r i t o r i a l e  de la République F ra n ç a is e '. The l e t t e r  requests the 
Commission to  propose to  the C ouncil th a t i t  in c lu d e  S aint P ie rre  
and M iquelon on the  l i s t  annexed to  the new d e c is io n  on the 
a s s o c ia tio n  o f the overseas c o u n trie s  and t e r r i t o r i e s  w ith  the EEC, 
the d r a ft o f which is  at present b e fo re  the  C o u n c il. (1)
The Commission is  able to  agree to  t h is  re q u e s t. I t  considers th a t 
i t  should make the  fo llo w in g  comments.
1. S a in t P ie rre  and M iquelon appears on the l i s t  o f overseas c o u n trie s  
and t e r r i t o r i e s  in  Annex IV to  the EEC T re a ty , and t h is  led to  the 
s p e c ia l arrangem ents fo r  a s s o c ia tio n  p ro vid e d  fo r  in  P art IV o f the 
T re a ty A r t ic le  227(3) EEC b ein g  a p p lie d  to  i t .
2. The French law o f 19 J u ly  1976 changed the s ta tu s  o f the a rc h ip e la g o  
from  an overseas t e r r i t o r y  in to  an overseas departm ent, thus making 
i t ,  in  p r in c ip le  a t le a s t, an in te g r a l p a rt o f France. As regards 
the  Community, the C ouncil and Commission deduced th a t the 
t e r r i t o r y  should then come under the ru le s  p ro vide d  fo r  in  A r t ic le  227 
(2) EEC. C onsequently, when the new ru le s  fo r  OCTs (lin k e d  w ith  Lomé I I )  
were adopted. S aint P ie rre  and M iquelon was d e le te d  from the l i s t  
annexed to  the d e c is io n  la y in g  down these ru le s  (D e cisio n  8 0 /1 186/EEC). 
No amendment, however, was made to  Annex IV to  the  EEC T re a ty .
(1) Document C0M(85) 193 f in a l

-  2 -
3 . I t s  exam ination o f the  new French Law Leads the Commission to  
co n sid e r th a t the  s u b s ta n tiv e  c o n d itio n s  f o r  re tu rn in g  the 
t e r r i t o r y  to  OCT s ta tu s , which i t  enjoyed u n tiL  1976, are 
fu L fiL L e d . I t  does not co nsid e r th a t th e re  is  any s p e c ific  
Community in te r e s t a rg u in g  a g a in s t t h i s .
Since no amendment to  the  EEC T re a ty  is  necessary -  the  t e r r i t o r y  
s tiL L  being L is te d  in  Annex IV  hereto  -  i t  wiLL be enough fo r  the 
C ouncil and the  Commission to  s ig n if y  t h e ir  agreement to  the 
t e r r i t o r y  b ein g  changed back from  an overseas departm ent to  an 
OCT. T his d e c is io n  may be adopted in form aL L y, by a statem ent in  
the  C ouncil m inutes when the  new OCT d e c is io n  is  adopted.
ConsequentLy, the  Commission proposes to  th e  CounciL:
-  add S aint P ie rre  and MiqueLon to  th e  L is t annexed to  th e  new 
OCT d e c is io n  (Document C0M(85) 193 f in a L ) ,
-  a t th e  same tim e , w r ite  the  a tta c h e d  statem ent in to  i t s  m in u te s.

ANNEX
DRAFT STATEMENT IN COUNCIL MINUTES
The C ouncil and the Commission note th a t the French law o f 
19 J u ly  1976 changing S aint P ie rre  and M iquelon from an 
overseas t e r r i t o r y  to  an overseas departm ent was not fo llo w e d  
by any corresponding amendment to  the EEC T re a ty , although in  
p ra c tic e  some consequences were drawn by the Community 
in s t it u t io n s  from t h is  change, and S aint P ie rre  and M iquelon 
is  s t i l l  in clu d e d  on the l i s t  o f overseas c o u n trie s  and 
t e r r i t o r i e s  in  Annex IV to  the EEC T re a ty .
The Council and the Commission note that French law No. 85.595 
of 11 June 1985 granting Saint Pierre and Miquelon the status of 
'C o lle c tiv ité  t e r r it o r ia le  de la République Française' now 
means that i t  has, fo r the purposes of Community law, been given 
back the status of overseas te r r ito r y  which i t  enjoyed before the 
law of 19 July 1976. This being so, i t  w ill be possible fo r 
Saint Pierre and Miquelon to be included once more on the lis t  
annexed to the Decision on the association of the overseas 
countries and te r r ito r ie s  w ith the EEC.