Région d'outre-mer, or Overseas regions, is a recent designation given to the départements d'outre-mer which have similar powers to those of the régions of metropolitan France. They have had these powers since 1982, when France's decentralisation policy dictated that they be given elected regional councils with other powers of région. It was not until the 2003 constitutional change that these régions are now to be called régions d'outre-mer; indeed the new wording of the Constitution aims to give no precedence to either appelation département or région d'outre-mer, though the second one is still virtually unused by French media.

The following have région d'outre-mer status:

• Guadeloupe in the Caribbean
• Martinique in the Caribbean
• French Guiana in South America
• Réunion in the Indian Ocean

Powers

As integral parts of the French Republic, they are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council, elect a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), and also use the Euro as their currency.