Andorra to sign EU Association Agreement on 19 October in Brussels
Espot announces the date to State Pact members and says the referendum will follow the European Parliament’s consent
Andorra’s Association Agreement with the European Union will be signed on 19 October in Brussels. Prime Minister Xavier Espot announced the date to members of the State Pact, explaining that Andorra, San Marino and the European Commission will sign the agreement.
According to the government, this step will finalise the negotiated text and formally open the ratification phase. It follows the Council of the European Union’s approval of the final text and authorisation of its signature on 16 July.
Espot stressed that signing the agreement does not bring it into force in Andorra or replace the ratification process.
Referendum to follow European Parliament consent
The prime minister reiterated the planned sequence of events. After the signing ceremony in Brussels, the agreement will be submitted to the European Parliament for its consent.
Once that stage is complete, the government will call an advisory referendum in Andorra. No date for the vote was announced.
Under the procedure outlined by Espot, the text will only be submitted to the General Council for ratification if voters support it in the referendum.
Parliamentary approval will require a qualified majority of two-thirds of general councillors. The prime minister insisted that the agreement cannot apply in Andorra without this ratification.
During the meeting, members also welcomed the Andorran Farmers and Livestock Breeders’ Association’s (APRA) request to join the State Pact.
The association will receive a formal invitation to join on the same terms as the organisations already taking part.
Border management agreement moves towards EU approval
The meeting also addressed the border management agreement between Andorra and the European Union, which has been forwarded to the Council of the European Union for approval.
The government said the text is now publicly available through official EU websites and, in Catalan, on andorraue.ad.
Finally, State Pact members were briefed on the new cooperation agreement with Europol, signed by Andorra’s police on Tuesday. The agreement will strengthen police cooperation and enable the direct and secure exchange of criminal information with the European agency and its partners.