Enhanced cooperation

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In the European Union (EU), enhanced cooperation (previously known as closer cooperation) is a procedure where a minimum of nine EU member states are allowed to establish advanced integration or cooperation in an area within EU structures but without the other member states being involved.^[1] As of October 2017, this procedure is being used in the fields of the Schengen acquis, divorce law,^[2] patents,^[3][4] property regimes of international couples, and European Public Prosecutor and is approved for the field of a financial transaction tax.^[5]

This is distinct from the EU opt-out, that is a form of cooperation between EU member states within EU structures, where it is allowed for a limited number of states to refrain from participation (e.g. EMU, Schengen Area). It is further distinct from Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification and permanent acquis suspensions, whose lifting is conditional on meeting certain benchmarks by the affected member states.