Progressistes-SDP to Exit Andorra's EU Pact Over Transparency Push

Progressistes-SDP, an extra-parliamentary party, is signalling its imminent departure from Andorra's State Pact on Europe by launching a separate communication campaign that calls for greater transparency in negotiations over the association agreement with the European Union.

The party, led by Josep Roig and chaired by Jaume Bartumeu, is expected to formalise its exit from the pact on Wednesday. It has released documents from recent working group meetings linked to the EU Council, criticising the current approach as overly technical and insular. "We cannot allow the association agreement to be seen as an isolated technical process," the party stated, urging broader public involvement.

Progressistes-SDP emphasised that the agreement should be a collective tool to secure Andorra's economic, social, and institutional future, rather than an initiative confined to the government or pact members. The move highlights growing tensions with pact partners, particularly Head of Government Xavier Espot and Secretary of State for EU Relations Landry Riba.

The released documents, drawn from the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) working group, cover key negotiation areas. These include a sectoral deal on tobacco, which may require Andorra to align tobacco taxes with EU standards if duty-free revenues decline—despite taxation remaining outside the agreement's scope. Other topics address free movement of people and immigration, air transport regulations, and public security protections.

Last week, the EFTA group in the EU Council failed to reach consensus on whether the agreement should be mixed or non-mixed, with a majority reportedly favouring the mixed option but full agreement required. The group reconvened on Tuesday without resolution.

Progressistes-SDP described the documents as vital for Andorra's future and stressed the need to explain the process politically. "A country in transition must understand why it is changing and participate," the party said, framing EU association as a democratic responsibility for future generations.