San Marino has signed the association agreement with the European Union. Today’s signing, on 19 October in Brussels, brings the negotiation to a close and opens the way for the Titan to participate in the European single market.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Republic by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Luca Beccari, and for the European Commission by Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. Andorra, which shared the negotiating path with San Marino, also took part in the ceremony at the Berlaymont building.
What changes for businesses and citizens
The central point is access to the internal market under common rules, with fair competition conditions. For businesses, citizens and public administrations, the goal is to establish a more stable framework for economic relations with the Union.
This means easier trade, greater support for investment, and smoother cross-border economic activity — an integration that will need to take into account the specific characteristics of the two small states.
Why it won’t all start right away
The signing does not make the agreement immediately operational. A number of institutional steps still need to be completed, both on the European side and in the two associated countries.
The Council of the EU will need to seek the consent of the European Parliament before proceeding to conclude the agreement. Provisional application will become possible once the respective ratification procedures in San Marino and Andorra allow for it.
After signing, therefore, the necessary steps must still be completed before the new relationship with Brussels can take concrete effect.
San Marino remains outside the Union
Association does not equate to membership of the European Union. San Marino remains a third country, taking part in some of the Union’s activities and adopting the European rules associated with that participation.
The Titan is therefore not taking on all the obligations of a member state. The relationship is built around the areas covered by the agreement, bringing closer economic and institutional ties than exist today.
Financial services: integration under review
A specific chapter concerns financial services, where integration will be gradual and subject to precise conditions. It will not take effect automatically upon signing.
The process will include an assessment of the robustness of both countries’ rules and supervisory systems. In this sector, closer alignment with the European market will proceed through dedicated checks.
Euro: monetary agreements updated too
Alongside the association agreement, the European Union has also signed updates to the monetary agreements with San Marino and Andorra. The aim is to resolve overlaps between existing obligations and those introduced by the new relationship with the EU.
The use of the euro is already governed separately: Andorra’s monetary agreement dates back to 2011, San Marino’s to 2012. The updates are designed to coordinate these commitments with those under the association agreement and provide greater legal certainty.
From research to the environment: other sectors involved
The relationship with Brussels will extend beyond the economy. The agreement provides for dialogue and cooperation on research and innovation, education, social policy and the environment.
Consumer protection, culture and regional cooperation also fall within the same framework. The agreement thus spans several areas of public activity, in addition to trade and investment.
The ceremony followed at the Kursaal too
The day of the signing was also followed on the Titan. The State Congress organised an event at the Kursaal, from noon, open to citizens, institutions, political forces, trade associations and civic groups, with images of the ceremony shown on a big screen.
Following the signing, the Captains Regent were due to deliver an official address from the Palazzo Pubblico. San Marino RTV covered the event with a live broadcast from Brussels and dedicated connections.
A negotiation that began in 2015
The signing comes more than ten years after talks began. In December 2014, the Council authorised the European Commission to open negotiations with San Marino, Andorra and Monaco.
Talks began in earnest in 2015. In September 2023, negotiations with Monaco were suspended, while the process continued with the other two states, reaching a conclusion in December of that same year.
In April 2024, the Commission presented its proposals for the signing, provisional application and conclusion of the agreement. In July 2026, the Council authorised the signing and provisional application.
For San Marino, this step forms part of a diplomatic relationship with European institutions that began in 1983. Over time, that relationship has developed through customs cooperation, taxation of savings income and the monetary agreement.
The precedent of the 2013 referendum
The question of Europe had already gone to the ballot box on 20 October 2013 — almost exactly thirteen years before today’s signing. On that occasion, citizens were asked to vote on whether to launch the procedure for EU membership.
The “yes” vote narrowly prevailed, with 6,732 votes, or 50.28%, against 6,657 “no” votes, or 49.72%. However, the referendum failed to reach the required quorum and did not pass.
That vote concerned membership. The process that culminated in today’s signing instead concerns association, whose implementation remains tied to the completion of European procedures and ratification in both countries.
