25 Years of the Customs Union with the EU

A map of Andorra with the Principality's coat of arms highlighted within. At the lower edge, two opposing arrows representing the customs agreement between Andorra and the EU, flanking the anniversary years '1990' and '2015'. The issuing state 'ANDORRA', encircled by the Catalan inscription '25è aniversari de la Signatura de l'Acord Duaner amb la Unió Europea' (25th Anniversary of the Signing of the Customs Agreement with the European Union).

The customs agreement between Andorra and the European Community, signed on 28 June 1990 in Luxembourg, was the small Pyrenean state's first major step toward integration into the European economic area. It governed the treatment of industrial goods and defined Andorra as part of the EC customs territory in this area — meaning industrial products traded between Andorra and the then EC member states were no longer subject to tariffs. For a country with no currency of its own, economically enclosed by France and Spain, and whose gross domestic product has traditionally depended heavily on retail and tourism, this arrangement had substantial practical impact: it secured duty-free flow of goods and stabilized Andorra's position as an attractive shopping destination for visitors from the EU area.

Andorra is not an EU member and has used the euro as its de facto currency since 2002 without formally belonging to the eurozone. Only in 2011 did the principality conclude a monetary agreement with the EU granting it the right to officially issue euros — including its own commemorative coins. Andorra's special constitutional status, governed by two co-princes (the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France), is also reflected in its foreign economic relations: rather than joining outright, the country relies on tailor-made agreements. The 25th anniversary of the signing of the customs agreement in 2015 gave Andorra the occasion to commemorate this milestone in its economic ties with Europe with a 2-euro commemorative coin.