With extensive autonomy under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands decided not to become a part of the EC when Denmark joined in 1973. As such, the Treaties do not apply to the Faroe Islands (TFEU Article 355, 5 (a)). Formal relations between the EU and the Faroe Islands are currently based on three separate bilateral agreements dealing with fisheries, trade in goods and scientific and technological cooperation. In March 2024, the EU and the Faroe Islands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on enhanced cooperation. The MoU recognises shared values, principles and commitments to democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights, peace and stability, international law, and sustainable development.

See the MoU here.

The first EU-Faroe Islands annual consultation under the MoU took place on 27 June in Brussels.

In a constructive meeting, the two parties took stock of the existing EU-Faroe Islands cooperation in the wide range of areas covered by the MoU. Both confirmed and welcomed their continued and close partnership in a number of key fields and identified areas with potential for further cooperation, while ensuring complementarity and added value to other existing fora and Joint Committees.

Both sides welcomed the outcome of the meeting and highlighted the positive momentum generated by the signature of the MoU in March. 

The meeting was co-chaired by Clara Ganslandt, Head of Division Western Europe / Arctic / Regional and Special Envoy for the Arctic at the EEAS, and by Hákun J. Djurhuus, Head of External Trade and EU Affairs at the Faroese Ministry for Foreign Affairs. A wide range of Commission experts (DG AGRI, CLIMA, CNECT, EAC, ENER, ENV, GROW, MARE, RTD, TAXUD, TRADE) took active part and contributed with inputs and interventions. 

The Agreement on Fisheries between the EU and the Faroe Islands, which came into effect in 1980, provides a framework for annual consultations between the EU and the Faroe Islands on the exchange of fishing opportunities and reciprocal fishing access in each other’s waters.

The fisheries agreement is available here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:21977A0315(01)&from=EN.

The Agreement on Trade (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01997A0222%2801%29-20210901) between the EU and the Faroe Islands, which covers trade in goods, came into effect in 1997. The Agreement was supplemented in 1999 with a Protocol on Veterinary Matters. The Joint Committee established by the Agreement is responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of the Agreement and meets regularly to consider relevant issues.

The Faroes formally became an associated country to the EU's seventh framework programme for research and innovation (FP7) in January 2010, and since January 2014, participated as an associated country to Horizon 2020, with similar rights and obligations as the EU Member States, including participation as an ‘observer’ (without voting rights) in the Programme governance structures. In May 2022, the Agreement on the participation of the Faroe Islands in Union programmes with the Protocol for the participation of the Faroe Islands in the Horizon Europe Programme was signed, being provisionally applicable. In view of ensuring uninterrupted cooperation between the EU and the Faroe Islands in the field of research, technological development and innovation, and allowing for the participation of the Faroes Islands in the Horizon Europe Programme from its start, the Agreement has been applied retroactively from 1 January 2021. (See more: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024/europe-world/international-cooperation/association-horizon-europe/faroe-islands_en).