Founded in the thirteenth century, the Seigniory of Monaco's independence has been recognised by the main European powers since the Middle Ages. Its status as a sovereign State was recognised by the Treaty of Vienna in 1815, by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and by treaties concluded with France in 1641, 1861, 1918 and 2002. A Member State of the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe, the Principality of Monaco is qualified as a third State in its relations with the European Union, although its territory has been assimilated to the European customs territory and it has given legal tender to the Euro. In this new edition, Georges Grinda discusses and comments on the public and international life of the State, its political and legal modernization and its future international role.