Country Data France
France is one of the European Union’s founding member states, with Paris as its capital and French as its official EU language. It has been part of the European project since 1 January 1958 and adopted the euro in 1999 as a founding member of the euro area. France has also belonged to the Schengen area since 1995, enabling free movement across participating European countries. Core indicators such as geographic size, population, and GDP per capita measured in purchasing power standards underline France’s role as one of the EU’s largest and most influential economies.
France is governed as a semi-presidential republic. The president, who is directly elected by the population, serves as head of state and appoints the prime minister, who leads the government and manages day-to-day executive affairs. Administratively, the country is divided into 18 regions, comprising 13 regions in metropolitan Europe and five overseas regions. These overseas regions, together with the French territory of Saint-Martin in the Caribbean, are fully part of the European Union and hold the status of outermost regions. France also plays a central institutional role within the EU, as Strasbourg is one of the three official seats of the European institutions, alongside Brussels and Luxembourg City.
France’s economy is highly diversified and strongly service-oriented. In 2020, the largest share of economic activity came from public administration, defence, education, healthcare, and social services. Wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation, and food services formed the next most significant sector, followed by professional, scientific, and technical activities as well as administrative and support services. France’s trade is closely integrated with the European single market, with more than half of exports destined for EU partners. Germany is the country’s most important export destination, followed by Italy, Belgium, and Spain. Outside the EU, the United States and the United Kingdom are key export markets. Imports are similarly EU-focused, with Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands as the main suppliers, while China and the United States represent the most significant non-EU sources.
Within the European Union, France holds a prominent position. It is represented by 79 Members of the European Parliament, reflecting its population size and political weight. French government representatives are actively involved in the Council of the European Union, where they participate in shaping and adopting EU legislation and coordinating policies across all major policy fields. France has also repeatedly held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, including during the early decades of European integration, underlining its long-standing leadership role within the Union.
At the level of the European Commission, France is represented by its nominated Commissioner, currently responsible for the Internal Market portfolio. The European Commission maintains an official presence in France, supporting engagement between EU institutions, national authorities, and citizens. France also plays a major role in EU advisory bodies, with 24 representatives each on the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions, ensuring that social, economic, and regional perspectives are well represented in the EU decision-making process.
France maintains a permanent representation to the European Union in Brussels, which acts as the central hub for coordinating French positions and advancing national interests within the EU framework. As one of the EU’s largest economies, France contributes significantly to the EU budget in proportion to its economic capacity. These contributions help finance EU-wide programmes and projects that support economic development, innovation, social cohesion, and environmental protection, reflecting the EU budget’s focus on shared European priorities and collective benefit.
