ost ▁regions ▁T FE U ▁Article ▁ 3 5 5 ( 6 ), ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Lis bon ▁allows ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁French , ▁Dutch ▁and ▁Dan ish ▁over se as ▁territ ories ▁to ▁be ▁changed ▁more ▁easily , ▁by ▁no ▁longer ▁requiring ▁a ▁full ▁treat y ▁revision . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁European ▁Council ▁may , ▁on ▁the ▁initi ative ▁of ▁the ▁member ▁state ▁concerned , ▁change ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁an ▁over se as ▁country ▁or ▁territory ▁( O CT ) ▁to ▁an ▁outer most ▁region ▁( OM R ) ▁or ▁vice ▁vers a . ▁ ▁With draw als ▁Some ▁former ▁territ ories ▁of ▁European ▁Union ▁members ▁broke ▁formal ▁links ▁with ▁the ▁EU ▁when ▁they ▁gained ▁independence ▁from ▁their ▁r uling ▁country ▁or ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁an ▁EU ▁non - member ▁state . ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁territ ories ▁were ▁not ▁class ed ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁EU , ▁but ▁were ▁at ▁most ▁associated ▁with ▁O CT ▁status , ▁and ▁EC ▁laws ▁were ▁generally ▁not ▁in ▁force ▁in ▁these ▁countries . ▁ ▁Some ▁current ▁territ ories ▁changed ▁or ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁changing ▁their ▁status ▁so ▁that , ▁instead ▁of ▁EU ▁law ▁applying ▁fully ▁or ▁with ▁limited ▁exceptions , ▁EU ▁law ▁mostly ▁will ▁not ▁apply . ▁The ▁process ▁also ▁occurs ▁in ▁the ▁opposite ▁direction , ▁as ▁formal ▁en larg ements ▁of ▁the ▁union ▁occur . ▁The ▁procedure ▁for ▁implementing ▁such ▁changes ▁was ▁made ▁easier ▁by ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Lis bon . ▁ ▁Past ▁withdraw als ▁ ▁Al ger ia