The same Association Agreement with the European Union, but two different paths after signing. That is what awaits San Marino and Andorra following the appointment set for 19 October in Brussels, when the negotiated agreement with the EU will be signed.
As San Marino RTV reports, the main difference lies precisely in what happens afterwards. Andorra will hold a consultative referendum: after signing, the text will pass to the European Parliament and then the decision will be handed to voters. Only if they give their approval will the Agreement move to the General Council for ratification, which will require a two-thirds majority.
San Marino’s path is more straightforward. After 19 October, the Agreement will need to be ratified by San Marino’s institutions, passing first through the Foreign Affairs Committee and then the Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale). Once this process is complete, the Republic will be able to request provisional application.
The goal set out by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Luca Beccari, is for the Agreement to take concrete effect between January and February 2027, while Brussels completes its own procedures.
After more than ten years of negotiations conducted jointly, San Marino and Andorra are preparing for the same signature but with different routes toward putting the Agreement into effect.
