The NUTS classification is defined only for the Member States of the European Union. However, there is an increasing demand for statistical information at a regional level for the Candidate Countries to EU membership (CC) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Therefore Eurostat, in consultation with the countries concerned, also determines codes of statistical regions in these countries. Statistical regions for the candidate countries and the EFTA countries are determined in accordance with principles similar to those used to determine the NUTS classification.
Currently, the CC are the following: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey. Furthermore, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland belong to the EFTA. The first three EFTA countries, together with the countries of the European Union, belong to the European Economic Area.
In addition, as a result of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 1 February 2020, the division of this country into statistical units ceased to be a part of the NUTS classification.
The number of statistical units in the candidate countries, EFTA countries and the United Kingdom:
|
Country |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Albania |
1 |
3 |
12 |
|
Island |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Lichtenstein |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Montenegro |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
North Macedonia |
1 |
1 |
8 |
|
Norway |
1 |
7 |
13 |
|
Serbia |
2 |
4 |
25 |
|
Switzerland |
1 |
7 |
26 |
|
Turkey |
12 |
26 |
81 |
| United Kingdom | 12 | 41 | 179 |
|
TOTAL |
33 |
92 |
348 |