Outermost regions

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Nine regions in the European Union are classified as 'outermost': the five French overseas departments (Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte); the French overseas communities of Saint-Martin; the Spanish Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands; and the Portuguese autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.

The outermost regions face specific constraints such as remoteness, insularity, small size, difficult topography and climate, and economic dependence on only a few products. The combination of these factors over time severely hinders the regions' socio-economic development. Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union provides for specific targeted measures are developed to help these regions address their permanent constraints.

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• Outermost regions