Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, met yesterday at the La Moncloa Complex with the Cap de Govern of Andorra, Xavier Espot, to whom he expressed his satisfaction with the Association Agreement with the European Union, whose negotiations were concluded under the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
As reported by Moncloa, both leaders addressed the main aspects of the bilateral relationship, which celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2023, and reviewed the increase in electrical interconnections, “fundamental to guaranteeing energy independence and moving towards a green transition and cross-border cooperation.”
Likewise, Pedro Sánchez conveyed to Espot his satisfaction with the Association Agreement with the European Union and both leaders agreed that it will be beneficial for both parties, including the Pyrenean territories bordering Andorra.
The last official meeting between Xavier Espot and Pedro Sánchez had taken place in July 2022 in La Moncloa, a year after the XXVII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government was held in Andorra. However, the two leaders agreed within the framework of the European Political Community, held in Granada last October. Espot traveled to Madrid yesterday accompanied by his Minister of Finance, Ramon Lladós, and also held a meeting with the governor of the Bank of Spain, Pablo Hernández de Cos.
The Government of Andorra and the European Commission successfully concluded, in December last year, the negotiations for the Association Agreement between the Principality and the European Union after almost nine years of talks. The agreement was announced in Brussels during the last General Council chaired by Spain.
Precisely, the Governments of Andorra and Spain had insisted throughout last year on the importance of the Spanish Presidency of the EU for the conclusion of the Association Agreement with the European Union. In July 2022, Pedro Sánchez assured in Madrid, after his aforementioned bilateral meeting with Espot, Spain’s support for Andorra in the negotiations and expressed confidence that they could have “a successful push” during the Spanish Presidency.
In 2015, negotiations began between Andorra and the EU for the signing of a new Association Agreement that would allow the Principality to access the European Economic Area (EEA), the framework that brings together all the EU Member States and three of the four States. of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and which guarantees an internal market regulated by the same basic rules. The EU’s negotiations with Andorra were linked to those carried out with two other small territorial states, Monaco and San Marino.
In accordance with the 2014 negotiating guidelines, the Association Agreement will take into account the particular situation of Andorra (and San Marino), as well as its specificities arising from its proximity relations with two EU Member States, its geography and its small size. All this will be reflected in a series of adaptations, as well as in several transitional periods for the implementation and application of parts of the EU acquis.
