Andorra says EU border‑management deal 'very advanced' and could sign by year‑end

At the opening of the 23rd Andorran Family Business Forum, Justice and Interior Minister Ester Molné said negotiations on a border‑management agreement with the European Union are "very advanced" and could be signed "if all goes well, before the end of the year."

Molné said the border accord is closely tied to the wider association agreement with the EU: finalising the association deal would see Andorra treated as an allied state rather than a third country, she said, and is therefore a precondition for completing the border arrangement.

The minister said the future text with the EU will include mechanisms for cross‑border police cooperation with Andorra's two neighbours, France and Spain, designed to fight transnational crime more effectively and in a more coordinated way.

Molné highlighted recent steps to strengthen policing capacity as preparation for closer international cooperation: a completed recruitment process for eight police positions and the launch of a new selection to fill 15 newly created posts. She added that the government is preparing substantial reforms of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to adapt legislation to evolving criminal threats and to speed up judicial action.

On migration, Molné stressed that the association process and the border‑management deal will not end Andorra's selective immigration system; selection procedures will continue under the new arrangements.

She framed the negotiations as an opportunity to reinforce Andorra's security, reputation and competitiveness as the country enters a new institutional phase. Domestic business representatives at the forum, including the Empresa Familiar Andorrana, expressed support for the association process and asked to be involved in implementation discussions as the government works towards putting the agreement into force.