Andorra Court Annuls Historic Protection Zones Over Notification Flaws

The Batllia court in Andorra la Vella has annulled a January 2025 government decree establishing protection zones around Casa de la Vall and the Sant Esteve church, due to the Culture Ministry's failure to issue personal notifications to affected property owners at the procedure's outset.

The decision supports a July 2025 nullity appeal by owners of three central historic buildings—Ca la Concep, Ca l’Alionó, and the former Hotel Torres. These owners claimed the decree violated their property rights by designating their structures as "disturbing elements," restricting renovations or new construction to a height of ground floor plus three stories for vernacular buildings, and affecting nearly 200 properties overall. They further argued that such private property limits require a law of higher rank, not a mere decree, and that the zones ignored modern obstructions like the Consell General and Constitutional Court buildings.

The court declined to examine these substantive issues, focusing instead on procedural flaws. It ruled that personal notifications—via certified mail with receipt confirmation—were mandatory for identifiable parties facing direct impacts on usage, building, and transformation rights. Public edicts alone were insufficient, the Batllia held, citing a 19 December 2025 Superior Court Administrative Chamber judgment requiring personal prior communication for potentially affected third parties. The ministry had contended that edicts provided enough notice and that owners could still defend themselves adequately.

The sentence invalidates the 29 January 2025 decree, deeming its intervention criteria "not adjusted to law or the purposes legitimizing administrative action." It mandates restarting the process from the pre-decree stage, with personal notices to all relevant owners.

The ruling complicates Andorra's UNESCO World Heritage candidacy for ten monuments, including these sites. The dossier was submitted on 31 January 2025 in Paris, with an evaluation committee visit scheduled for July. Protection zones for Sant Joan de Caselles and Sant Miquel d’Engolasters remain in allegations phase, while Sant Martí de la Cortinada awaits approval. The government now faces options to appeal to the Superior Court or promptly redo the procedure. Culture Minister Mònica Bonell’s department has not yet commented.