Andorra Advances Provisional EU Association Agreement Amid Ratification Delays

Andorra's government is pushing ahead with provisional implementation of its EU association agreement, excluding fiscal good governance and portfolio investment articles that need mixed ratification, while the State Pact for the Association Agreement has endorsed a draft referendum regulation.

Head of Government Xavier Espot outlined the approach during the executive's Christmas media briefing on Tuesday. He confirmed expectations of a mixed agreement classification, with the Council of the EU unlikely to resolve its legal status under the current Danish presidency, which ends this month. The process will pass to Cyprus from January 2026, with unanimous approval on content and classification anticipated by the first quarter—potentially as early as January or February.

To avoid prolonged delays, with full ratification by EU member states' parliaments likely taking years, officials are coordinating with the European Commission for immediate rollout of the core text. Espot described the excluded provisions as minimal, representing a tiny fraction of the deal, but noted they require domestic legislative changes subject to a referendum on both the agreement and its partial application. He admitted uncertainty about completing this within the current term.

Espot reflected critically on the early referendum commitment, stating it had excessively politicised and polarised debate, radicalising positions around the project. He contrasted this with San Marino's more technical path to broader consensus, while leaving future options—like plebiscitary elections or dropping the vote—to the next executive if timelines slip. Environment Minister Guillem Casal affirmed the government would stick to its roadmap regardless.

On Wednesday, the State Pact validated the referendum regulation, based on Law 44/2022 on electoral and referendum procedures and shared with parliamentary groups in September. Government approval is slated for the first quarter of 2026. The text sets voting rights principles, modalities, procedures for date and question-setting (by government with General Council consent), party and elector group participation, and campaign financing rules, adapting national and local election models.

Updates from the Pact confirmed no Danish consensus but advanced talks, including recent European Commission contacts with Andorra and San Marino. Border management negotiations target closure in January 2026, alongside ongoing bilateral discussions with Spain and France. Espot thanked Denmark for its momentum and expressed optimism for Cyprus.