Concòrdia proposes governance law to standardise public entities and merit-based leadership

Concòrdia, the Andorran opposition group, has tabled a framework law in parliament aimed at standardising governance and transparency across public companies and parapublic entities, with a focus on eliminating revolving-door practices.

The bill, presented today, would apply to entities majority-owned by the general administration, including the CASS social security agency, SAAS telecommunications regulator, Andorra Telecom and FEDA development agency. It leaves out those tied to communes for now, though the door remains open to future inclusion. Group president Cerni Escalé and general councillor Jordi Casadevall highlighted the recent creation of around 15 such bodies, many duplicating government resources, as justification for uniform standards rooted in OECD and Council of Europe principles.

Casadevall described the concise text as a tool for modernisation, raising management standards through open executive selection processes. Public calls would appear on entity portals, the government's transparency site and BOPA. A four-member selection committee—two appointed by the entity's governing body and two drawn from a new registry of independent experts—would evaluate candidates based on technical merit, independence and impartiality.

Applicants must submit and defend a strategic project aligned with the entity's guidelines. The committee would forward a recommendation or shortlist to the governing body, which makes the final choice but must adhere to principles of transparency, equal opportunity and objectivity. The appointee would formalise a performance contract within three months, setting specific, measurable, verifiable, realistic and time-bound strategic and operational goals, published online with annual compliance reports.

Mandates last five years, renewable once for another five following a positive evaluation, absence of conflicts and ongoing eligibility. After 10 years, individuals could re-enter the open selection process. A two-year transitional period applies to current leaders, alongside post-term restrictions for two years to curb conflicts of interest.

Escalé emphasised the need for top talent to drive efficiency, while Casadevall pointed to principles like legality, professionalism, meritocracy, integrity and accountability, drawing from international benchmarks and local private-sector models. The proposal now enters parliamentary debate.