section_path: Government and politics/Relation to the European Union
section_name: Relation to the European Union
paragraph_text: Relation to the European Union
  
  Sint Maarten is classified as an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) in Annex II of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This annex lists all the territories that have special relationships with the European Union due to their connection with EU member states but are not part of the Union itself.
  
  Being classified as an OCT Sint Maarten is not part of the European Union. The status of Sint Maarten is outlined in Article 355(2) in conjunction with Part Four — Articles 198 to 204 — of the TFEU. Key points include:
  
  This classification means that while Sint Maarten benefits from economic and developmental cooperation with the EU, it does not participate in EU institutions or policies as full member states do.