# Andorra - United States Department of State

- Andorra HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Andorra																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Andorra during the year.There were no credible reports of significant human rights abuses.The government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibited such practices, and there were no credible reports that government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Administration: Authorities conducted proper investigations of credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring: The government permitted visits by independent human rights observers. There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court. The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						The law required a warrant for arrest. Police could legally detain persons for 48 hours without a hearing, and police generally observed this time limit. A judge had up to 24 hours to charge or release a detainee. Police promptly informed detainees of charges against them. A bail system existed. The law provided detainees the right to legal counsel from the moment of arrest. Persons charged with a crime could choose their own lawyers or accept ones designated by the government. Authorities respected these rights.Pretrial Detention: The law provided that the duration of provisional detention could not exceed four months. A judge could, by means of a reasoned decision, extend its duration for the same amount of time. The duration of the provisional detention could not exceed half the maximum penalty prescribed by the criminal code for the offenses for which it had been ordered. According to the law, once a case had been sent to court, the duration of the pretrial detention could not exceed six months (minor offenses) or 12 months (serious offenses). As of August, prisoners were in pretrial detention on average for 390 days, or approximately 13 months. The slow pace of the justice system and lack of human resources often resulted in lengthy detentions beyond the period stipulated by law.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution and law provided for the right to a fair and public trial, and the judiciary generally enforced this right.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibited such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law did not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government did not establish a system for providing protection to refugees, preferring to deal with refugees on an ad hoc basis. The law, however, provided for the temporary and transitional protection of asylum seekers for humanitarian reasons and allowed their entry, stay, and right to work for a two-year period, renewable for six additional months.The law established a cap on refugee admissions; 20 in the case of refugees arriving from Syria, and 285 for those coming from Ukraine.As a result of the 2018 Syrian refugee crisis, the government and the Community of Sant’Egidio maintained a humanitarian corridor from French and Spanish airports for refugees to enter the country. Since the start of the corridor in 2018, 18 Syrian refugees received legal, medical, psychological, social, and educational assistance.Temporary Protection: The law provided for the temporary protection of asylum seekers for humanitarian reasons and allowed their entry, stay, and right to work for a two-year period, renewable for six additional months. After this period, the beneficiary could either return to the country of origin, go to a third country, or stay in Andorra if the individual complied with all immigration requirements. As of early December, 285 refugees from Ukraine and six from Syria were taking advantage of this protection.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The constitution and the law provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections: National elections, held on April 2, were widely reported to be fair and free of abuses and irregularities.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. Officials infrequently engaged in corrupt practices.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings. Government officials were cooperative and responsive to the views of these groups.Government Human Rights Bodies: The main function of the Ombudsman’s Office was to defend and oversee the fulfillment and application of the rights and liberties included in the constitution and to ensure the public sector adhered to constitutional principles. The office also covered all cases of discrimination in the private sector as well as in the protection of the rights of minors and persons with disabilities, and protection against racist, xenophobic, antisemitic, and intolerant attitudes.The ombudsman enjoyed the government’s cooperation, operated without government interference, had adequate resources, published an annual report to parliament with recommendations, and was considered effective.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: The law prohibited rape regardless of gender, including spousal rape, punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment. It penalized domestic physical or psychological violence with a prison sentence of up to three years. Authorities enforced the law effectively.Other Forms of Gender-based Violence or Harassment: The law prohibited sexual harassment under the provisions for other sexual aggressions, punishable by three months to three years’ imprisonment. Labor unions reported an increase in the number of cases of sexual harassment in the workplace, especially targeting young immigrant women, but many were reluctant to file a complaint due to fear of reprisal.Discrimination: The law provided the same legal status and rights for women as for men, and those laws were generally respected.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization by governmental authorities. The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Emergency contraception and postexposure prophylaxis were available as part of clinical management of rape. Individuals were informed and had access to safe, effective, and affordable methods of family planning. The government’s Comprehensive Care Service for Women and the hospital provided free emergency contraception. Access to emergency health care, including services for the management of complications arising from abortion, was available.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution prohibited discrimination based on sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, color, or creed. There were no reports of governmental or societal violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or national minorities.																																				Children										Child Abuse: The law prohibited child abuse and punished perpetrators with three months to six years’ imprisonment. The government’s Specialized Child Protection Team intervened in situations where children and young persons were at risk or lacked protection, and it collected data on cases of child abuse. The law was enforced effectively.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum legal age of marriage was 16 for girls and boys, and as young as 14 with judicial authorization. The law was enforced effectively.Sexual Exploitation of Children: Child pornography was illegal and carried a prison sentence of up to four years. The minimum age of sexual consent was 14 years. Authorities enforced the law.The law did not explicitly prohibit the sale of children, but the penal code prohibited child abduction; trafficking in children for the purpose of adoption; pimping; providing a child for prostitution; sexual acts with prostituted minors or persons with disabilities; child prostitution; the use of minors and persons with disabilities for pornography; and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation.The penalty for statutory rape was 15 years’ imprisonment, the same as for rape in general. The law banned slavery and servitude with a maximum of 12 years’ imprisonment. It also prohibited trafficking in persons for the purpose of slavery and servitude with a maximum of six years’ imprisonment.The law punished anyone who managed or financed premises used for prostitution; who aided, abetted, or fostered prostitution; or who incited through violence, intimidation, or exploitation another person to engage in prostitution.																																				Antisemitism										Unofficial estimates placed the size of the Jewish community at 100 persons. There were no reports of antisemitic incidents.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited victims from the country abroad.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: No law criminalized consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults or cross-dressing, and there were no laws that were de facto discriminating, such as laws covering “debauchery.” There were no reports of authorities applying laws disproportionally to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.Violence and Harassment: The law considered sexual orientation an aggravating circumstance for crimes motivated by hate or bias. There were few cases of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. In late 2022, a gay person was reportedly attacked and badly injured in front of a discotheque.Discrimination: The law prohibited discrimination by state and nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics and recognized LGBTQI+ individuals, couples, and their families. The government enforced the law. Some cases of discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation occurred with respect to employment or occupation.The Ministry of Social Affairs received requests for psychological, social, and legal assistance from individuals based on their gender identity or expression.NGOs called for appropriate training on transgender matters, especially for professionals working with children, including medical professionals, teachers, and civil servants. Complaints of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity could be brought before the civil and administrative courts.Throughout the year, the Ministry of Social Affairs, with the NGO Diversand launched several awareness campaigns, trainings, and workshops to promote diversity, equality, and nondiscrimination.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: The law, approved in 2022, allowed transgender individuals to change their name and gender through the judiciary without a medical examination. Adults, emancipated minors, and youth aged 12 with the consent of their parents or legal representatives, could request changes to the registration entry of their sex if it did not correspond to their gender identity and if they could prove they had been presenting themselves publicly for two or more years and had been known with this identity among their close family, professional, or social contacts. The legal recognition of gender identity did not require an individual to have undergone sex reassignment surgery or to have been treated medically to accommodate their physical characteristics to their gender identity. The government added hormonal or surgical treatment for cases of gender dysphoria to the free health care system.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices: There were no reports of so-called conversion therapy on adults or minors to try to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. There were no reports of surgeries performed on nonconsenting intersex adults and minors.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no laws or other restrictions on individuals speaking about or media reporting on LGBTQI+ matters, on the ability of LGBTQI+ individuals to assemble in public or private or to form associations, or on the ability of LGBTQI+ organizations to legally register or convene events.																																				Persons with Disabilities										According to civil society representatives, the most significant challenge for persons with disabilities remained entry into the workforce. The Ministry of Social Affairs promoted the hiring of persons with disabilities through the Network of Inclusive Businesses, which provided participating companies fiscal and social incentives. There was a low rate of employment offers, however, for persons with disabilities, and few persons with disabilities were hired.National civil society organizations also identified among the primary concerns for persons with disabilities access to private and public spaces. Associations requested the government provide more resources to monitor accessibility barriers and ensure that sporting, recreational, and cultural venues were accessible for all persons with disabilities.NGOs continued to call for effective implementation of an inclusive educational system.The Service for Personal Autonomy within the Ministry of Social Affairs provided psychological, social, and legal assistance for persons with disabilities and their families.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The constitution and law provided for workers to form and join independent trade unions. The law also regulated relations between trade unions and employer associations as well as mechanisms of collective conflict. The law provided for the rights to bargain collectively and to strike. Alternate dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration existed. The law neither prohibited antiunion discrimination nor required the reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.While the government effectively enforced the law, the country’s main union, Unio Sindical d’Andorra (USdA), continued to allege the law did not effectively protect workers, especially those with short-term contracts. Penalties for violations were commensurate with those for other laws involving the denial of civil liberties. Labor unions called on the government to increase wages, reform the pension system, and provide access to affordable housing. The government and employers respected freedom of association. Collective bargaining did not occur during the year. There were no official reports of or investigations into antiunion discrimination. Workers were reluctant to admit to union membership due to fear of retaliation by their employers and arbitrary dismissal.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibited children younger than age 14 from working and prohibited all the worst forms of child labor. Children aged 14 or 15 could work up to two months per year during school holidays following strict regulations. The law provided for protection of children from exploitation in the workplace. Penalties were commensurate with those for other similar crimes. The government effectively enforced the law. There were no confirmed reports of the worst forms of child labor.																																				d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The national minimum wage was above the poverty level but not sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The national Ombudsman reported an increase in cases of individuals not having access to affordable housing, especially among vulnerable groups such as women, elderly, and migrants.The law provided for a workweek of 40 hours. Employees could work up to 12 hours per week of overtime, 48 hours per month, and 426 hours per year. Penalties for wage and overtime violations were commensurate with those for similar crimes. The Labor Inspection Office, within the Ministry of Presidency, Economy, Labor, and Housing, had the authority to levy sanctions and fines against companies violating standards and enforced compliance. The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct unannounced inspections.Occupational Safety and Health: Under the law, occupational safety and health (OSH) experts, rather than workers, were responsible for identifying unsafe situations. The law covered agricultural, domestic, and migrant workers.As of the end of July, the Labor Inspection Office had received 54 occupational safety and health complaints. As of June, the Andorran Social Security Fund had registered 2,003 workplace accidents, which led to 913 persons on sick leave for an average 42 days. One death was registered.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The government generally enforced minimum wage and overtime laws effectively.The government effectively enforced occupational safety and health laws, and the penalties for violations were commensurate with those for crimes such as negligence.The Labor Inspection Office had the authority to levy sanctions and fines against companies violating standards and it enforced compliance. The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct unannounced inspections. The informal sector was marginal, and the government enforced labor laws in that sector.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
- Andorra HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2023 Investment Climate Statements&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Investment Climate Statements: Andorra																																																																																												 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																																									Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																																											Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																																											Business Facilitation																																																																											Outward Investment																																																																																	2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties																															3. Legal Regime																																																									Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																																											International Regulatory Considerations																																																																											Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																																											Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Competition and Anti-Trust Laws																																																																											Expropriation and Compensation																																																																											Dispute Settlement																																																																			ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																																								Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																																								International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																																																		Bankruptcy Regulations																																																																																	4. Industrial Policies																																																									Investment Incentives																																																																											Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																																											Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																																																	5. Protection of Property Rights																																																									Real Property																																																																											Intellectual Property Rights																																																																																	6. Financial Sector																																																									Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																																											Money and Banking System																																																																											Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																																			Foreign Exchange																																																								Remittance Policies																																																																																																																		Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																																																	7. State-Owned Enterprises																																																									Privatization Program																																																																																	8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																									Climate Issues																																																																											Additional Resources  																																																																																	9. Corruption																																																									Resources to Report Corruption:																																																																																	10. Political and Security Environment																															11. Labor Policies and Practices																															12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																															13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics																															14. Contact for More Information																																																					EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				Andorra is an independent principality with a population of about 81,600 and area of 181 square miles located in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. Andorra is not a member state of the European Union but is subject to all EU free trade regulations and uses the euro as its national currency. Andorra is a popular tourist destination visited by over 8.4 million people each year, drawn by outdoor activities like hiking and cycling in the summer and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, as well as by its duty-free shopping of luxury products. Andorra’s economy is based on an interdependent network of trade, commerce, and tourism, which represent nearly 60 percent of the economy, followed by the financial sector. Andorra has also become a wealthy international commercial center because of its integrated banking sector and low taxes. Andorra has opened to foreign investment and engaged in other reforms, including advancing tax initiatives and in attracting foreign direct investment, as part of its effort to modernize and diversify its economy. Andorra seeks to become a desired location for entrepreneurs, talent, innovation, and knowledge.The Andorran economy is undergoing a process of digitalization and diversification to minimize reliance on tourism and commerce. In 2006, the Government began sweeping economic reforms. The Parliament approved three main regulations to complement the first phase of economic openness:  the law of Companies (October 2007), the Law of Business Accounting (December 2007), and the Law of Foreign Investment (passed in April 2008, and updated in June 2012 and July 2022). From 2011 to 2017, the Parliament approved direct taxes in the form of a corporate tax, tax on economic activities, tax on income of non-residents, tax on capital gains, and personal income tax. Andorra joined the IMF in October 2020, providing it access to additional resources for managing its economy. Also, as part of the post-pandemic economic recovery plan, Andorra passed Horizon 23, a comprehensive roadmap backed by 80 million euros of public funds to accelerate economic diversification into sectors like fintech, sports tech, esports, and biotech. In October 2022, Andorra announced the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy with the aim of bolstering the country’s innovation sector. These regulations aim to establish a transparent, modern, and internationally comparable regulatory framework.Andorra is a microstate that accounts for 0.001 percent of global emissions and has demonstrated its ambition to the fight against climate change by establishing a national strategy that commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by a minimum of 37 percent by 2030 and pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition to implementing an energy transition law, Andorra approved the Green Fund and a hydrocarbon tax to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.Andorra’s per capita income is above the European average and above the level of its neighbors. The country has developed a sophisticated infrastructure including a one-of-a-kind micro-fiber-optic network for the entire country that provides universal access for all households and companies. Andorra’s retail tradition is well known around Europe, thanks to more than 1,400 shops, the quality of their products, and competitive prices. Products taken out of the Principality are tax-free up to certain limits; the purchaser must declare those that exceed the allowance.In March 2022, the Andorran government broke its historic neutrality and approved a sanctions package in line with EU sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions impacted an estimated 700 Russian and Belarusian individuals and 50 legal entities with assets in Andorra.Table 1: Key Metrics and RankingsData not available.																																					1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment						    																																																Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment										Andorra has established an open framework for foreign investments, allowing non-residents to create companies in the country, open businesses, and invest in all kinds of assets. The Foreign Investment Law came into force in July 2012, completely opening the economy to foreign investors. Since then, foreigners, whether resident or not, may own up to 100 percent of any Andorra-based company. The law also liberalizes restrictions on foreign professionals seeking to work in Andorra. Previously, a foreigner could only begin to practice in Andorra after 20 years of residency. Under the current regulations, any Andorran legal resident from a country that has a reciprocal standard can work in Andorra, although special working permits are required for specific professions. In July 2022, Andorra modified the Foreign Investment Law to make it easier for companies to establish in Andorra and to improve government oversight mechanisms.The government of Andorra created  Andorra Business , Andorra&#8217;s economic development and promotion office, to provide counseling services to both Andorran companies looking to grow and foreign investors wanting to start new businesses in Andorra. Andorra Business’ mission is to increase competitiveness, innovation, and the sustainability of the economy.Andorra Business’ five key objectives are:Promoting key sectors for the diversification of the economy;Being a motor in the improvement of the public sector and microeconomic environment;Attracting and supporting both foreign and local investment in key sectors;Providing support to Andorran businesses to be more competitive on a national and international scale; andCreating favorable conditions for innovation and entrepreneurship, in both the public and private sectors, to create an environment for testing new innovations at the country level.In collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona, Andorra Business produced a presentation,  Direct Line Andorra, on investment opportunities in the country.The  Andorran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services  aims to promote and strengthen Andorra’s financial and business activity, as well as provide services to foreign companies. The Chamber’s activities include organizing a census of commercial, industrial, and service activities; protecting the general interests of commerce, industry, and services; promoting fair competition; and issuing certificates of origin and other commercial documents.The Andorran Business Confederation (CEA)  provides support to national companies to navigate within Andorra’s new legal, labor, and fiscal framework and facilitates companies’ international expansion projects. CEA also works to foster international investment into the country through its  Iwand project , which provides information about Andorra’s economic and fiscal environment.The  Andorran Family Company  (EFA) is a non-profit civil association that brings together family businesses in Andorra. It works to bolster Andorra’s small businesses, improve the competitiveness of family-owned companies, and support sustainable long-term growth strategies for SMEs.																																				Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment										The Andorran legal framework has also adapted to international standards. The most relevant laws passed by Parliament to accompany the economic openness include the law of Companies (October 2007), the Law of Business Accounting (December 2007), and the Law of Foreign Investment (passed in April 2008, and updated in June 2012 and July 2022).The OECD removed Andorra from its “tax haven list” in 2009 after the country signed the Paris Declaration, formally committing to sharing fiscal information outlined by the agreement. With the approval of the Law 19/2016 on automatic exchange of information on tax matters Andorra will exchange financial information with signatories of the “Common Reporting Standard” (CRS), developed by the G20 and approved by the OECD Council in July 2014.From 2011 to 2019, the Parliament approved direct corporate, non-resident, capital gains, and personal income taxes. At 10 percent, well below the European average, Andorra’s corporate tax is more competitive than rates in neighboring Spain or France.While foreigners may own 100 percent of a trading enterprise or a holding company, the Government must approve the establishment of any private enterprise. The approval can take up to one month and can be rejected if the proposal is found to negatively affect the environment, the public order, or the general interests of the principality.The Andorran government implemented new screening and approval procedures for inbound foreign investment with the reform of the Foreign Investment Law in July 2022. Foreign investment from countries that have a Double Taxation Agreement with Andorra or other special agreements related to foreign investment can proceed without prior administrative authorization. Investors from countries without a double taxation or foreign investment agreement with Andorra or a public entity in a foreign country must obtain prior authorization.With the new law, Andorra is implementing investment screening protocols.All inbound foreign investment presented and registered in the Registry is subject to a control mechanism that assesses risks to national security, sovereignty, public and economic order, and the environment. Emphasis is placed on threats to critical infrastructures, critical technologies, energy, raw materials, and food security.																																				Other Investment Policy Reviews										In June 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a  report  detailing Andorra’s macro-economic trends and investment climate. In the past five years the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization (WTO), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have not conducted an investment policy review. The government of Andorra, in responding to the economic downturn of COVID, released Horizon 23, an economic recovery roadmap to increase investment competitiveness.In the past five years, civil society organizations have not provided reviews of investment policy-related concerns.																																				Business Facilitation										Andorra established Andorra Business, a public-private agency made up of several ministries, government agencies, associations, and organizations from the private sector. It aims to increase competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability. It provides counseling services to Andorran companies and potential foreign investors to facilitate investment and economic diversification.Andorran regulations allow for two types of commercial companies: a Limited Liability Company (Societat de Responsabilitat Limitada – SL), which has a minimum capital requirement of 3,000 euros; and a Joint Stock Company (Societat Anonima – SA) which is normally required for multiple shareholders and has a minimum capital requirement of 60,000 euros.The business establishment procedures for share acquisitions or transfers are similar to those of other countries, requiring the filling of a simple application form, with the additional unique condition of the presentation of any prior investment authorization received in the country. This same procedure is applicable for incorporation, establishment, extension, branching, or other form of business expansion. Once the company is registered, the foreign investment is established, and the investor is required to deposit the share capital with an Andorran banking entity and proceed to public deed of incorporation before a notary.																																				Outward Investment										The Government’s Andorra Business programs provide grants, counseling, and online resources to small and medium size companies to foster competitiveness and facilitate internationalization.The  Andorran Chamber of Commerce  helps companies search for business opportunities abroad and organizes, with the government, trade missions to explore international business exchanges.																																												2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties						    																						Andorra has bilateral agreements with France (2003), Spain (2003), and Portugal (2007). No bilateral investment treaties, free trade agreements, or bilateral taxation treaties currently exist between Andorra and the United States.Andorra has signed Tax Information Exchange agreements for the exchange of fiscal information with 24 countries. All those agreements have been ratified and are in force.In 2014, Andorra became the 48th signatory to the OECD Declaration on Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters, which commits countries to end bank secrecy for tax evasion purposes. Andorra is a member of the OECD’s Inclusive Framework base erosion profit shifting (BEPS). Additionally, Andorra ratified the Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, which came into effect January 1, 2022. Between 2013 and 2021, Andorra signed Double Taxation Agreements with France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Cyprus, Hungary, United Arab Emirates, and San Marino. The government has also signed Double Taxation Agreements with the following countries, which are pending ratification: Croatia, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Iceland, and Monaco.																																		3. Legal Regime						    																																																Transparency of the Regulatory System										Andorra set out transparent policies and laws, which have significantly liberalized all economic sectors in Andorra. New foreign-owned businesses must be approved by the government and the process can take up to a month. Andorra is committed to a transparent process. Andorra has begun to relax labor and immigration standards; previously, foreign professionals had to establish 20 years of residency before being eligible to own 100 percent of their business in Andorra. This restriction has been lifted for nationals coming from countries that have reciprocal standards for Andorran citizens.Following approval of the new Accounting Law in 2007, individuals carrying out business or professional activities, trading companies, and legal persons or entities with a profit purpose must file financial statements with the administration.																																				International Regulatory Considerations										Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Andorra has had an established Customs Union with the European Union since 1990 and is subject to all EU free trade regulations and arrangements regarding industrial products. Concerning agriculture, the EU allows duty-free importation of products originating in Andorra.The European Union receives Most Favored Nation treatment (MFN) from Andorra, which stipulates that arrangements applied to goods from third countries imported into the Principality of Andorra should not be more favorable than those applied to imports of EU goods.Since 2015, Andorra has been negotiating a new association agreement with the European Union alongside Monaco and San Marino. This agreement, expected to be finalized in the second half of 2023, would integrate Andorra into the EU’s single market and allow the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. The agreement entails harmonizing Andorran regulations with European ones, while maintaining its own specificities in foreign and fiscal policy. Provisions for Andorra to begin a path to EU membership are not included in the association agreement.Andorra holds observer status at the WTO, although it took steps in the past for full membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Andorra became the 190th member of the IMF in October 2020.																																				Legal System and Judicial Independence										Andorra has a mixed legal system of civil and customary law with the influence of canon law. The judiciary is independent from the executive branch. The Supreme Court consists of a court president and eight judges, organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers. Four magistrates make up the Constitutional Court. The Tribunal of Judges and the Tribunal of the Courts are lower courts. Regulations and enforcement actions can be appealed in the national court system.																																				Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment										The Law on Foreign Investment (10/2012) entered into force in 2012, opening the country’s economy by removing the sectorial restrictions stipulated in the prior legislation. In this way, Andorra has positioned itself on equal terms with neighboring economies, enabling it to become more competitive for new sectors and enterprises. In July 2022, the government of Andorra modified the Foreign Investment Law to attract more foreign investment and improve government oversight of those investments.In March 2022, the Andorran government broke its historic neutrality and approved a sanctions package in line with EU sanctions in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions package impacted an estimated 700 Russian and Belarusian individuals and 50 legal entities with assets in Andorra.Andorra Business is responsible for economic promotion and provides information on relevant laws, rules, procedures to set up a business in Andorra, as well as reporting requirements to investors. The organization also provides other services to facilitate foreign and local investments in strategic sectors.																																				Competition and Anti-Trust Laws										The Law on Effective Competence and Consumer Protection (13/2013) protects investors against unfair practices. The Ministry of Economy is responsible for administering anti-trust laws and reviews transactions for both domestic and international competition-related concerns.																																				Expropriation and Compensation										The Law of Expropriation (1993) allows the Government to expropriate private property for public purposes in accordance with international norms, including appropriate compensation. We know of no incidents of expropriation involving U.S. entities in Andorra.																																				Dispute Settlement																										ICSID Convention and New York Convention						Andorra became a party to the New York Convention of 1958 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards in September 2015, requiring Andorran courts to enforce financial awards. Andorra is not a signatory state or a contracting state to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (ICSID).						Investor-State Dispute Settlement						Andorran legislation establishes mechanisms to resolve disputes if they arise, and its judicial system is transparent. The constitution guarantees an independent judiciary branch, overseen by a High Council of Justice. The prosecution system allows for successive appeals to higher courts. The European Court of Justice is the ultimate arbiter of unsettled appeals.Contractual disputes between U.S. individuals or companies and Andorran entities are rare, but when they arise are handled under Andorra’s legal system. There have been no reported cases of U.S. investment disputes.						International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts						Parties to a dispute can also resolve disputes contractually through arbitration. The Arbitration Court of the Principality of Andorra (TAPA) was established in July 2020 by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services and the Andorran Bar Association in accordance with Law 16/2018. The main goal of this institution is to mediate both national and international business disputes to reach a fair settlement for both parties without having to go to court.																										Bankruptcy Regulations										Andorra’s bankruptcy decree dates to 1969. Other laws from 2008 and 2014 complement the initial text and further protect workers’ rights to fair salaries and sets up mechanisms to monitor the implementation of judicial resolutions. Additionally, Law 8/2015 outlines urgent measures allowing Government intervention of the banking sector in a crisis.																																												4. Industrial Policies						    																																																Investment Incentives										Andorra has been known for its favorable tax regime, which investors have used to promote products such as tobacco, alcohol, jewelry, cosmetics, and dairy. In recent years, Andorra has reached agreements with neighboring countries to limit and regulate duty-free sales with a view towards promoting economic integration, though smuggling continues to be an issue. Andorra is a member of the European Customs Union and therefore has no tariffs on EU-manufactured goods.Andorra is actively seeking to attract foreign investment and to become a desired location for entrepreneurs, talent, innovation, and knowledge.Andorra Business provides grants for small- and medium-sized companies to foster competitiveness and facilitate their internationalization. The ActuaTech Foundation was created in 2015, in collaboration with the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with the aim of employing Andorra’s unique economy as a “living lab” to promote innovation at the country level.Andorra Research + Innovation  (ARI), established in 2021, supports projects to generate knowledge, promote sustainable development, and diversify the Andorran economy. ARI promotes innovation projects in the country, establishes synergies in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and builds connections with national and international partners. Their online platform  Andorra Startup  connects startups with investors and provides information about Andorra’s startup ecosystem.In October 2022, Andorra Research + Innovation and Andorra Business launched the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategy.  The objective of this strategy is to identify and address challenges facing Andorra’s innovation ecosystem to maximize the principality’s potential to develop new products and services.The United States Embassy and the Consulate General in Spain accredited to Andorra, launched the first iteration of the  Academy for Women Entrepreneurs  (AWE) in April 2022 aimed at fostering women entrepreneurship in Andorra.Twelve female entrepreneurs from Andorra participated in the first iteration of AWE, held from May to October 2022. The women benefitted from a combination of in-person masterclasses given by Andorran mentors and intensive virtual coaching provided by the Thunderbird Business School at Arizona State University in the United States. In March 2023, the Embassy and Consulate launched the second edition of AWE in Andorra, which will connect participants with AWE’s large global network of more than 25,000 women from around the world.																																				Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation										Although not a full member of the European Union, Andorra, as a member of the European Customs Union, is subject to all EU free trade regulations and arrangements regarding industrial products. Moreover, the EU allows duty-free importations of products acquired by visitors in Andorra in the framework of the franchises covered in the Customs Union Agreement (1990). Concerning agriculture, the EU allows duty-free importation of products originating in Andorra. No free trade zones exist in the country.																																				Performance and Data Localization Requirements										All employees wishing to work in Andorra must have work permits issued by annual quotas established by the Andorran government.Both domestic and foreign private entities have the right to establish and own business enterprises. While foreigners may now own 100 percent of a trading enterprise or a holding company, the Government must approve the establishment of any private enterprise. For a foreign resident, the process for obtaining permissions takes up to one month and is subject to the Foreign Investment Law, as modified in 2022. As soon as the foreign investor receives authorization to invest in the country, national laws are applicable just like any other national investor.A new data protection law, Law 29/2021, entered into force in Andorra in May of 2022. The text and structure are based on the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which includes new obligations to which Andorran companies and foreign companies operating in Andorra will have to adapt their processes. These requirements include keeping a detailed record of data processing operations, creating an impact plan, and appointing a Data Protection Officer.Although Andorra is not a member of the European Union, it is a signatory to the European Union’s Convention 108 on Data Protection, which is the origin of many of Andorra’s current data protection laws.Andorra does not follow a “forced localization” policy.																																												5. Protection of Property Rights						    																						The constitution guarantees the right to private ownership for citizens and residents. Both domestic and foreign private entities now have the right to establish and own business enterprises.																										Real Property										Andorran law protects property rights with enforcement carried out at the administrative and judicial levels. Foreign investments for the purchase of property are possible in Andorra, subject to prior authorization. There is a 4 percent asset-transfer tax.Secured property loans are available through the Andorran banking sector. The  Andorran Financial Authority  (AFA) oversees the banking sector, including mortgages.Andorra does not have a national Property Registry; however, there is a communal registry for each of its seven municipalities. It is mandatory to register property, which records its physical, legal, and economic characteristics. Information about registered properties is publicly available.																																				Intellectual Property Rights										The legal framework for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) includes the Trademarks Act of May 1, 1995, the Law 26/2014 on Patents of October 30, the Law on Authors’ and Neighboring Rights of June 1999, and Law 23/2011, of December 29, 2011, on the Creation of the Society of Collective Management of Copyright and Neighboring Rights.In 2012, the Society for the Administration of Authors’ Rights (SDADV) was created to manage the economic rights, neighboring rights, and the interests of copyright holders. Right holders can choose whether to participate in this voluntary collective arrangement, although in some cases, the collective arrangement system is compulsory.Andorra joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1994 and is party to the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, as well as the Rome Convention since 2004. Andorra is not a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) but holds observer status. Andorra is not included in the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Andorra does not currently conform with EU regulations; however, Andorra is negotiating an association agreement with the European Union to allow the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital. In annex XVII of the agreement, Andorra has committed to align its national legislation with the EU, including that which addresses IPR.. Once this agreement is ratified by the EU member states and by Andorra through a referendum, it would integrate the principality into the EU’s single market.Additionally, Andorra is currently reviewing the adoption of two International Conventions in the field of protection of IPR:The Patent Cooperation TreatyThe European Patent ConventionBusinesses seeking to register a trademark or patent should contact the Andorran Trademarks Office and Patents Office.Trademarks and Patents Office of the Principality of AndorraMinistry of EconomyEdifici Administratiu del Prat del RullCami de la Grau s/nAD 500 Andorra La VellaTel. (376) 875 600Email: ompa@govern.ad http://www.ompa.ad/ Andorra is not listed in the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Special 301 Report nor included in the Notorious Markets List.For additional information about national laws and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles at  http://www.wipo.int/directory/en/ .																																												6. Financial Sector						    																																																Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment										The Andorran financial sector is efficient and is one of the main pillars of the Andorran economy, representing 15 percent of the country’s GDP and over 4 percent of the workforce.Created in 1989, and redefined with more responsibilities in 2003, the  Andorran Financial Authority  (AFA) is the supervisory and regulatory body of the Andorran financial system and the insurance sector. The AFA is a public entity with its own legal status, functionally independent from the Government. AFA has the power to carry out all necessary actions to ensure the correct development of its supervision and control functions, disciplinary and punitive powers, treasury and public debt management services, financial agency, international relations, advice, and studies.The  Andorran Financial Intelligence Unit  (UIFAND) was created in 2000 as an independent organ to deal with the tasks of promoting and coordinating measures to combat money laundering, terror financing, and the proliferation of weapons.The  State Agency for the Resolution of Banking Institutions  (AREB) is a public-legal institution created by Law 8/2015 to take urgent measures to introduce mechanisms for the recovery and resolution of banking institutions.																																				Money and Banking System										Andorra adopted the use of the euro in 2002 and in 2011 signed a Monetary Agreement with the EU making the euro the official currency. Since July 1, 2013, Andorra has had the right to mint euro coins.The Andorra banking system is sound and considered the most important part of the financial sector. It represents 15 percent of the country’s GDP. The Andorran banks offer a variety of services at market rates. The main lines of business in the banking sector are retail banking, private banking, asset management, and insurance. The country also has a sizeable and growing market for portfolio investments. The country does not have a central bank. The sector is regulated and supervised by the AFA.The Andorran banking system is made up of three banking groups: Andbank, MoraBanc, and Crèdit Andorrà. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has certified all the Andorran banks as qualified intermediaries.Founded in 1960, the  Association of Andorran Banks  (ABA) represents Andorran banks. Among its tasks are representing and defending interests of its members, watching over the development and competitiveness of Andorran banking at national and international levels, improving sector technical standards, cooperation with public administrations, and promoting professional training, particularly dealing with money laundering prevention. The three Andorran banking groups are ABA members, totaling an estimated 61.5 billion euros in combined assets for 2021.																																				Foreign Exchange and Remittances																										Foreign Exchange						Andorra adopted the euro in 2002 and in 2011 signed a Monetary Agreement with the EU making the euro the official currency. Since 2013, Andorra has the authority to mint euro coins.						Remittance Policies						There are no limits or restrictions on remittances if they correspond to a company’s official earning records.																										Sovereign Wealth Funds										Andorra has no Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).																																												7. State-Owned Enterprises						    																						Andorra has 35 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) associated with health, social services, and energy and telecommunication, which are generally allowed to compete with private enterprises without restriction. The only exception is the government-owned Andorra Telecom, which has enjoyed a monopoly on the telecommunications industry since 2015.The Andorran public sector is made up of the central Administration and seven local administrations, one for each of the country’s seven parishes. The public sector employs 11 percent of Andorra’s workforce, or approximately 4,595 employees.																										Privatization Program										Andorra has no current plans to privatize any of its SOEs.																																												8. Responsible Business Conduct						    																						Andorra has taken steps to promote responsible business conduct. For example, Law 35/2008 establishes a protocol for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for men and women. A gender-equality law approved in April 2022 sets a 60 percent ceiling for gender representation on governing boards among other requirements.Over the years, the Andorran banks have been consolidating their voluntary responsible business conduct practices, mainly through their foundations. Rather than focus on a due diligence approach to lower risks, as promoted by international guidelines such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises or UN Guidance on Business and Human Rights, the banking sector establishes private initiatives to promote responsible business conduct in a variety of areas like culture, sports, solidarity, education, and the environment. There are no reported cases of human or labor rights concerns related to responsible business conduct.																										Climate Issues										The government of Andorra updated its National Energy Strategy Against Climate Change in February 2021. The national strategy commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by a minimum of 37 percent by 2030 and pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050.Andorra is responsible for an estimated 0.001 percent of global emissions, a figure that has continued to decrease since 2005. Since 2018, Andorra has implemented an energy transition law, approved the national strategic plan for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, approved the declaration of a state of climate and ecological emergency, established a National Commission for Energy and Climate Change, and updated the National Energy Strategy for the Fight Against Climate Change. In June 2022, Andorra approved the Circular Economy Law, which bans the use of single-use plastics and implements measures to reduce food waste, among others.The government of Andorra approved the Green Fund, through Law 21/2018, to encourage plans and actions for the development of climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives. The fund is sustained by earmarked green taxes, complementary budgetary allocations, donations and contributions, and other assorted income sources ( https://www.govern.ad/taxaverda ).Andorra has created a price for carbon as an additional element of the general branch of the excise tax on hydrocarbons whose use generates or is likely to generate greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, Andorra joined the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, which brings together leaders from government, private sector, academia, and civil society to expand the use of carbon pricing policies.																																				Additional Resources  										Department of StateCountry Reports on Human Rights Practices ( https://www.state.gov/reports-bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/)Trafficking in Persons Report ( https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/)Guidance on Implementing the &#8220;UN Guiding Principles&#8221; for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities ( https://www.state.gov/key-topics-bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/due-diligence-guidance/)U.S. National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises ( https://www.state.gov/u-s-national-contact-point-for-the-oecd-guidelines-for-multinational-enterprises/)Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory ( https://www.state.gov/xinjiang-supply-chain-business-advisory/)Department of the TreasuryOFAC Recent Actions ( https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions )Department of LaborFindings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Report ( https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings  )List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor ( https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods )Sweat &amp; Toil: Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking Around the World ( https://www.dol.gov/general/apps/ilab )Comply Chain ( https://www.dol.gov/ilab/complychain/ )																																												9. Corruption						    																						Andorra’s laws penalize corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, hostage taking, sale of illegal arms, prostitution, terrorism, as well as the financing of terrorism. Additional amendments were added in 2008, 2014, 2015, and 2016 to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code that modify and introduce money laundering and terrorism financing provisions.In 1994, Andorra joined the Council of Europe, an institution that oversees the defense of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. That same year, the Justice Ministers of the Member States decided to fight corruption at the European level after considering that the phenomenon posed a serious threat to the stability of democratic institutions.In early 2005, Andorra joined the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in its fight against corruption. Andorra has gradually built its internal regulations and relevant legal instruments and has undertaken numerous initiatives to improve the State’s response to reprehensible acts and conduct committed internally and internationally.Andorra created the Unit for the Prevention and the Fight against Corruption (UPLC) under the Ministry of Justice and Interior in 2008 to centralize and coordinate actions that might concern local administrations, national bodies, and entities with an international scope. UPLC is responsible for implementing the recommendations made by GRECO.Andorra has not signed the UN Anticorruption Convention or the OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.There are explicitly defined rules for the ethical behavior of all participating bodies within the Andorran financial system. The Andorran Financial Authority (AFA) has also established rules regarding ethical behavior in the financial system.The Andorran government modified and implemented new laws to comply with international corruption standards. The  Andorran Financial Intelligence Unit  (UIFAND), created in 2000 is an independent body charged with mitigating money laundering and terrorist funding.																										Resources to Report Corruption:										Unitat de Prevencio i Lluita contra la CorrupcioMinisteri de Justicia i InteriorGovern d’AndorraCtra.de l’Obac s/nAD700 Escaldes-EngordanyPhone: +376 875 700Email:  uplc_govern@govern.ad 																																												10. Political and Security Environment						    																						Andorra has not experienced any politically motivated damage to projects or installations, or destruction of private property. The likelihood of widespread civil disturbances is very low. Civil unrest is generally not a problem in Andorra. No anti-American sentiment is evident in the country.																																		11. Labor Policies and Practices						    																						All employees wishing to work in Andorra must have work permits, issued by annual quotas established by the government.The Andorran constitution recognizes workers’ rights to form trade unions to defend their economic and social interests. Alternative dispute mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration exist. Despite these rights, union membership is relatively low.Andorra is not a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO).There were a total of 41,333 employed workers in Andorra in November 2022. The largest labor sectors are commerce (22 percent), real estate/business services (17 percent), and hotels and hospitality (16 percent).Andorra’s unemployment rate improved from a high of 3 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to 2.3 percent at the close of 2022. The government of Andorra approved a 7 percent increase in the minimum wage that went into effect January 1, 2023, bringing it to 7.42 euros (roughly USD $7.99) per hour and 1,187 euros (roughly USD $1,278) per month.																																		12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs						    																						Andorra does not participate in government programs such as those offered by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) or the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).																																		13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics						    																						Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/EconomyData unavailable.Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDIData unavailable.																																		14. Contact for More Information						    																						ECON Officer, Omar Medina,  medinao@state.gov POL/ECON Specialist, Eulalia d’Ortado;  OrtadoE@state.gov United States Consulate General Barcelonatel. 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Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																							Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																						Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																						Business Facilitation																																																						Outward Investment																																																			2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties																3. Legal Regime																																							Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																						International Regulatory Considerations																																																						Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																						Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Competition and Anti-Trust Laws																																																						Expropriation and Compensation																																																						Dispute Settlement																																																				ICSID Convention and New York Convention																																												Investor-State Dispute Settlement																																												International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign Courts																																																																																				Bankruptcy Regulations																																																			4. Industrial Policies																																							Investment Incentives																																																						Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																						Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																			5. Protection of Property Rights																																							Real Property																																																						Intellectual Property Rights																																																			6. Financial Sector																																							Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																						Money and Banking System																																																						Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																				Foreign Exchange																																												Remittance Policies																																																																																				Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																			7. State-Owned Enterprises																																							Privatization Program																																																			8. Responsible Business Conduct																																							Climate Issues																																																						Additional Resources  																																																			9. Corruption																																							Resources to Report Corruption:																																																			10. Political and Security Environment																11. Labor Policies and Practices																12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics																14. Contact for More Information																						Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
- Andorra HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2022 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Andorra																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																																																																																							Download Report																																																																																	 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution provides for freedom of individuals to manifest their religion or beliefs and prohibits religious discrimination. It names the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain as joint head of state with the President of France. In accordance with the constitution, the government offers the Catholic Church privileges not available to other religious groups. In April, parliament amended the Education Law to ban the use of conspicuous religious symbols, including head scarves, kippahs, and large crosses, in public schools. In October, the government approved a decree providing an online schooling option for students who choose not to attend in person due to the ban.The Ministry of Education reached an accommodation with a Muslim family whereby the daughter could take classes online rather than requiring her to attend a school which required her to remove her headscarf. In response to the government’s continued failure to identify public land for a multiconfessional cemetery, representatives of Muslim and Jewish communities in March reiterated their petition for a multiconfessional cemetery with representatives of the Ministry of Interior. In March, the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO, a body that falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reinstalled its Interfaith Dialogue Group to bring together representatives of the country&#8217;s religious communities to discuss religious freedom concerns. The National Commission served as a bridge between the government and the religious communities.The were no reports during the year of significant societal actions affecting religious freedom.The U.S. Ambassador, resident in Spain, and the Consul General and other officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona met and communicated regularly with senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education, Justice, and Interior, and Social Affairs, Housing and Youth, as well as with officials in the Office of the Ombudsman. During visits to the country and in periodic communications, consulate general officials discussed with Jewish and Muslim leaders and human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) issues such as the lack of official status for faiths other than Catholicism and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities. The consulate general and embassy used social media to promote religious freedom, tolerance, and human rights, including through observation of a wide range of religious holidays and commemorations.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 85,600 (midyear 2022).  The Andorran government estimates the population at 80,700 (August 2022), including 39,000 citizens and 47,000 other residents, mostly from Spain, France, and Portugal.  The local government does not provide statistics on the size of religious groups, and there is no census data on religious group membership.  While there are no official statistics, government officials estimate that the vast majority of the population is Catholic.  Muslim leaders estimate their community, largely composed of recent immigrants, has approximately 2,000 members.  The Jewish community reports it has approximately 100 members.  Other small religious groups include Hindus, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, the Baha’i Faith, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church), the New Apostolic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution guarantees “freedom of ideas, religion, and worship.” It prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and stipulates no one shall be required to disclose his or her religion or beliefs. The constitution acknowledges a special relationship with the Catholic Church “in accordance with Andorran tradition” and recognizes the “full legal capacity” of the bodies of the Catholic Church, granting them legal status “in accordance with their own rules.” In accordance with the constitution, the government offers the Catholic Church privileges not available to other religious groups. The Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, whose diocese includes Andorra, is one of two constitutionally designated princes of the country and serves equally as joint head of state with the other prince, the President of France.Instruction in the Catholic faith is optional in public schools except for the three public Catholic schools. The Catholic Church provides teachers for religion classes, and the government provides space in public schools for Catholic religious instruction and pays the teachers’ salaries.On April 7, the parliament amended the Education Law to ban the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, including head scarves, kippahs, and large crosses. April 7 amendments to the Education Law also established a new course in public schools on philosophy, ethics, values, and the history of democracy for those students that do not wish to register for Catholic religion classes.On October 19, the government approved a decree regulating online schooling in public schools due to medical, social, or religious reasons. The decree provides for online schooling for first and secondary school students who, due to the ban on the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, choose not to attend class.The law provides for the right to equal treatment and nondiscrimination, including for members of any religious group. The law has judicial, administrative, and institutional provisions to protect and provide compensation for victims of discrimination. The law also provides for fines of up to 24,000 euros ($26,000) in cases of discrimination, including on the basis of religious affiliation, and stipulates the burden of proof in such cases rests with the defendant, who must demonstrate there has not been discrimination.Faiths other than Catholicism do not have legal status as religious groups. The government registers religious communities as cultural organizations under the law of associations, which does not specifically mention religious groups. To build a place of worship or seek government financial support for community activities, a religious group must acquire legal status by registering as a nonprofit cultural organization. To register, a group must provide its statutes and foundational agreement, a statement certifying the names of persons appointed to the board or other official positions in the organization, and a patrimony declaration that identifies the inheritance or endowment of the organization. A consolidated register of associations records all types of associations, including religious groups.The national ombudsman is responsible for investigating complaints of racism, discrimination, and intolerance, including those involving a religious motivation, in the public and private sectors. The ombudsman makes recommendations to the public administration to correct problems and reports annually to parliament.The law requires individuals applying for official documents, such as residence permits, passports, and driver’s licenses, to appear in person and be photographed with their heads uncovered.According to the law, municipalities are responsible for the construction, preservation, and administration of cemeteries and funerary services.Government regulations permit ritual slaughter as required by the Islamic or Jewish faith, as long as it takes place under the supervision of the veterinary services of the country’s slaughterhouse.The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										On April 7, the government amended the Education Law, banning the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools. This followed the government’s modification of public-school regulations in 2021 to ban the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, which came in response to a Muslim family’s complaint of discrimination and racism against a French school in the country that required their daughter to remove her headscarf while in school. (Families may choose to place their children in free, public schools in the French system, the Spanish system, or the Andorran system.) The government in 2021 supported the French school, saying a law prohibiting headscarves in public schools in France was applicable under a bilateral agreement making the school a part of the French public school system. In response, the Muslim family withdrew the daughter from the school and enrolled her in a public school, which subsequently also forbade her from wearing a headscarf. The family then refused to send their daughter and son to school and filed a complaint in court, arguing that the revised school regulations violated the country’s constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. Following the passage of the Education Law amendment the court dismissed the case.The Ministry of Social Affairs subsequently obtained a court order requiring the two Muslim students to attend school in accordance with the law or the parents would lose their custody rights. The son returned to in-person learning and the Ministry of Education agreed to allow the daughter to attend school virtually through the end of the school year. According to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs, government officials provided specialized and personalized assistance to the children and family as well as mediation throughout the process.The Catholic Church continued to receive special privileges not available to other religious groups. The government paid the salaries of the eight Catholic priests serving in local churches and granted all foreign Catholic priests’ citizenship for as long as they exercised their functions in the country.In March, representatives of Muslim and Jewish communities reiterated their petition for a multiconfessional cemetery with representatives of the Ministry of Interior at a meeting convened under the auspices of the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO, which served as a bridge between the government and the religious communities. Despite longstanding requests by community representatives for cemeteries where they could bury their dead according to their rituals and traditions, the government did not identify suitable public land for a multiconfessional cemetery. According to authorities, Jews and Muslims could use existing cemeteries, but these did not allocate separate burial areas for the communities to use. As a result, most Jews and Muslims continued to bury their dead outside the country.The government continued to fund three public Catholic schools at the primary and secondary level. These were open to students of all faiths. Catholic instruction was mandatory for all students attending these schools.The government continued to maintain a policy of issuing religious work permits only to foreigners performing religious functions for the Catholic Church. Foreign religious workers belonging to other groups said they could enter the country with permits for other positions, such as schoolteachers or business workers, and carry out religious work without hindrance.Catholic rituals, such as priests blessing those gathered for an event or leading a Mass before an event, continued to be a part of many state ceremonies, including annual national day celebrations.In March, the Andorran National Commission for UNESCO reinstalled an Interfaith Dialogue Group, which brought together representatives of the country&#8217;s religious communities to discuss religious freedom concerns, including the lack of legal status for religious groups other than the Catholic Church and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															There were no reports of significant societal actions affecting religious freedom during the year.A leader in the Muslim community continued to say that the case of the female student forced to remove her headscarf to attend school had divided the community.  Some Muslims considered society as a whole intolerant of other cultures and beliefs.In the absence of a mosque in the country, the Muslim community continued to rely on two Islamic prayer rooms that it rented in Andorra la Vella and in Escaldes-Engordany.  The Catholic Church of Santa Maria del Fener in Andorra la Vella continued to lend its sanctuary for services twice a month to the Anglican community so that visiting Anglican clergy could conduct services for its English-speaking members.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															The U.S. Ambassador, resident in Spain, and the Consul General and other officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona reiterated the importance of religious tolerance in periodic in-person and virtual meetings and other communications with officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs; Education, Social Affairs, Housing, and Youth; and Justice and Interior, as well as the Office of the Ombudsman.  Consulate general staff raised continued concerns about the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities with senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials and engaged with the Ministry of Education regarding how amendments to the Education Law impacted religious freedom.In periodic communications and meetings with representatives of the Jewish and Muslim communities and human rights NGOs, consulate general officials discussed the groups’ views on issues pertaining to their exercise of religious freedom in the country, including the lack of legal status for religious groups other than the Catholic Church and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities.The consulate general regularly amplified messages from the Secretary of State and Department of State on religious freedom through social media.  For example, the consulate general highlighted International Religious Freedom Day on October 27 and encouraged partnerships with civil society organizations to combat all forms of hatred and discrimination on religious grounds.  Throughout the year, the consulate general promoted a variety of religious observations on social media, including International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, Jewish-American Heritage month in May, National Arab Heritage Month and Yom HaShoah in April, as well as significant holidays, including Ramadan, Hannukah, and Eid al-Fitr.																																				    							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Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom
- Andorra HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Andorra																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																											d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																											e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																											f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																											b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																																												Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																																																		Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																																																		Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				The Principality of Andorra is a constitutional, parliamentary democracy. Two co-princes, the president of France and the Spanish bishop of Urgell, serve with joint authority as heads of state. In 2019 the country held free and fair multiparty elections for the 28 seats in parliament (the General Council of the Valleys), which selects the head of government. Having won a majority in parliament, the Democrats for Andorra formed a coalition with Liberals of Andorra and Committed Citizens, and elected Xavier Espot Zamora from the Democrats for Andorra head of government.The country’s only security forces are the police, prison officers, traffic police, and forestry officials. The national police maintained internal and external security. The Ministry of Justice and Interior maintained effective civilian control over the security forces. There were no reports that members of the security forces committed abuses.There were no reports of significant human rights abuses.The government had mechanisms in place to identify and punish officials who may commit human rights abuses or engage in corruption.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The constitution and law prohibit such practices, and there were no credible reports that government officials employed them.Prison and Detention Center ConditionsThere were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Administration:  Authorities conducted proper investigations of credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring:  The government permitted visits by independent human rights observers.																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court.  The government generally observed these requirements.Arrest Procedures and Treatment of DetaineesThe law requires a warrant for arrest.  Police may legally detain persons for 48 hours without a hearing, and police generally observed this time limit.  A judge has up to 24 hours to charge or release a detainee.  Police promptly informed detainees of charges against them.  A bail system exists.  The law provides detainees the right to legal counsel from the moment of arrest.  Persons charged with a crime may choose their own lawyers or accept one designated by the government.  Authorities generally respected these rights.Pretrial Detention:  The law provides that the duration of provisional detention may not exceed four months.  A judge may, by means of a reasoned decision, extend its duration for the same amount of time.  The duration of the provisional detention may not exceed half the maximum penalty prescribed by the criminal code for the offenses for which it has been ordered.  According to the law, once a case has been sent to court, the duration of the pretrial detention cannot exceed six months (minor offenses) or 12 months (serious offenses).  As of December, prisoners were in pretrial detention on average for 498 days, or approximately 16 months.  The slow pace of the justice system and lack of human resources often resulted in lengthy detentions beyond the period stipulated by law.																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.Trial ProceduresThe constitution and law provide for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right.Political Prisoners and DetaineesThere were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.Civil Judicial Procedures and RemediesPlaintiffs may bring lawsuits seeking damages for, or cessation of, a human rights violation.  Individuals and organizations may appeal adverse domestic decisions to the European Court of Human Rights.  The national ombudsman also serves to protect and defend basic rights and public freedom on behalf of citizens.																																				f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibit such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right.  An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.Internet FreedomThe government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provide for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report athttps://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these related rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law does not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has not established a system for providing protection to refugees, preferring to deal with refugees on an ad hoc basis. The law, however, provides for the temporary and transitional protection of asylum seekers for humanitarian reasons and allows their entry, stay, and right to work for a two-year period, renewable for six additional months.The law establishes a cap on refugee admissions; 20 in the case of refugees arriving from Syria, and 285 for those coming from Ukraine.As a result of the 2018 Syrian refugee crisis, the government and the Community of Sant’Egidio maintained a humanitarian corridor from French and Spanish airports for refugees to enter the country. Since the start of the corridor in 2018, 12 Syrian refugees have received legal, medical, psychological, social, and educational assistance.Access to Basic Services: The law provides for housing, as well as access to social services, health care, transportation, and education for refugees. Additionally, the government provides optional Catalan language courses to promote the integration of refugees into the country. The government provided these benefits to incoming refugees with the support of the Andorran Red Cross, Caritas, and the Association Open-Open Them (Associacio Obrim, Obrim-les).Temporary Protection: The law provides for the temporary protection of asylum seekers for humanitarian reasons and allows their entry, stay, and right to work for a two-year period, renewable for six additional months. After this period, the beneficiary can either return to the country of origin, go to a third country, or stay in Andorra if the individual complies with all immigration requirements.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																																															The constitution and the law provide citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																																				Elections and Political Participation										Recent Elections:Observers considered parliamentary elections held in 2019 to be free and fair.Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit the participation of women or members of minority groups in the political process, and they did participate. Citizens were mostly ethnically and linguistically homogeneous but, as of the end of the year, represented only 48.3 percent of the country’s total population. Most of the population consisted of immigrants, largely from Spain, Portugal, and France. The law requires 20 years of residency for naturalization. Because only citizens have the right to hold official positions, there were no members of minority groups in government.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government												    																																															The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively.  Officials infrequently engaged in corrupt practices.  There were no reports of government corruption during the year.																																					Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																																															A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases.  Government officials were cooperative and responsive to their views.Government Human Rights Bodies:  The ombudsman’s main function is to defend and oversee the fulfillment and application of the rights and liberties included in the constitution and to ensure the public sector adheres to constitutional principles.  The Ombudsman’s Office also covers all cases of discrimination in the private sector as well as in the protection of the rights of minors and persons with disabilities and protection against racist, xenophobic, antisemitic, and intolerant attitudes.  The Ombudsman’s Office is independent from other institutions and provides its functions free of charge to interested persons.The ombudsman enjoyed the government’s cooperation, operated without government interference, had adequate resources, published an annual report to parliament with recommendations, and was considered effective.																																					Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence:The law prohibits rape regardless of gender, including spousal rape, punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment. It penalizes domestic physical or psychological violence with a prison sentence of up to three years. Authorities enforced the law effectively.Sexual Harassment:The law prohibits sexual harassment under the provisions for other sexual aggressions, punishable by three months’ to three years’ imprisonment. As of December, no cases were reported to authorities. According to nongovernmental organization (NGO) sources, survivors were reluctant to file a complaint due to fear of reprisal.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of governmental authorities. The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence. Emergency contraception was available as part of clinical management of rape. Individuals were informed and had access to safe, effective, and affordable methods of family planning. The government’s Comprehensive Care Service for Women and the hospital provided free emergency contraception. Access to emergency health care, including services for the management of complications arising from abortion, was available.Discrimination:The law provides for the same legal status and rights for women as for men. The law also prohibits discrimination privately or professionally. The government enforced the law effectively. On March 31, parliament approved the country’s first gender equality law. The law provides for coeducation in the education system, improved representation of women in governing bodies, and the modification of the penal code to punish the lack of consent in sexual crimes.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, color, or creed. There were no reports of governmental or societal violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or national minorities during the year.																																				Children										Birth Registration:According to the law, citizenship is acquired when a child is born in the country to an Andorran parent or born abroad to an Andorran parent born in the country; a child is born in the country and either parent was born in the country and is living there at the time of birth; or a child is born in the country and both parents are stateless or of unknown identity. A child of foreign parents may acquire Andorran nationality by birth in the country if at the time of birth one of the parents completed 10 years in the country. Otherwise, the child may become a citizen before attaining the age of adulthood or a year after reaching the age of adulthood if his or her parents have been permanently resident in the country for 10 years or if the person can prove that he or she has lived in the country permanently and continuously for the previous five years. In the meantime, the child has a provisional passport.Children are registered at birth.Child Abuse:The law prohibits child abuse and punishes perpetrators with three months’ to six years’ imprisonment. The government’s Specialized Child Protection Team, consisting of three social workers, five psychologists, and three social educators, intervened in situations where children and young persons were at risk or lacked protection, and it collected data on cases of child abuse.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage:The minimum legal age of marriage is 16 for girls and boys and as young as 14 with judicial authorization.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The penalty for statutory rape is 15 years’ imprisonment, the same as for rape in general. The law bans slavery and servitude with a maximum of 12 years’ imprisonment. It also prohibits trafficking in persons for the purpose of slavery and servitude with a maximum of six years’ imprisonment.The law punishes anyone who manages or finances premises used for prostitution; who aids, abets, or fosters prostitution; or who incites through violence, intimidation, or exploitation another person to engage in prostitution.Child pornography is illegal and carries a prison sentence of up to four years. The minimum age of sexual consent is 14 years. Authorities enforced the law.																																				Antisemitism										Unofficial estimates placed the size of the Jewish community at 100 persons. There were no reports of antisemitic acts.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that traffickers exploited domestic or foreign victims in the country or that traffickers exploited victims from the country abroad.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: No law criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults or so-called cross-dressing, including de facto discrimination, such as laws covering “debauchery.” There were no reports of authorities applying laws disproportionally to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) persons.Violence against LGBTQI+ Persons: The law considers sexual orientation an aggravating circumstance for crimes motivated by hate or bias. There were few cases of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics.Discrimination: The law prohibits discrimination by state and nonstate actors based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics and recognizes LGBTQI+ individuals, couples, and their families. The government enforced the law.The Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality received requests for psychological, social, and legal assistance from individuals based on their gender identity or expression.NGOs called for appropriate training on transgender matters, especially for professionals working with children, including medical professionals, teachers, and civil servants. Complaints on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity may be brought before the civil and administrative courts. Civil society saw a need for the government to improve its sensitivity to problems of the LGBTQI+ community.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: In July parliament passed a reform of the family code allowing transgender individuals to change their name and gender through the judiciary without a medical examination. Adults, emancipated minors, and young persons ages 12 or above with the consent of their parents or legal representatives may request changes to the registration entry of their sex if it does not correspond to their gender identity and if they can prove they have been presenting themselves publicly for two or more years and have been known with this identity among their close family, professional, or social contacts. The accreditation of gender identity does not require an individual to have undergone sex reassignment surgery or to have been treated medically to accommodate their physical characteristics to their gender identity. The government added hormonal or surgical treatment for cases of gender dysphoria to the free health care system.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices Specifically Targeting LGBTQI+ Individuals: There were no reports of such practices.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no reports of such restrictions. To celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality with the NGO DIVERSAND launched an awareness campaign to promote diversity, equality, and nondiscrimination.																																				Persons with Disabilities										Although parliament approved in October 2020 a reform to the education law reaffirming the inclusion of students with disabilities in the public school system at all grade levels, NGOs continued to call for effective implementation of an inclusive educational system.According to civil society representatives, the most significant challenge for persons with disabilities remained the entry into the workforce. The Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality promoted the hiring of persons with disabilities through the Network of Inclusive Businesses, which provides participating companies fiscal and social incentives for participating.National civil society organizations also identified among the primary concerns for persons with disabilities access to private and public spaces. Associations requested the government provide more resources to reduce the increasing gap among persons with disabilities to acquire adequate equipment.The Service for Personal Autonomy within the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality received requests for psychological, social, and legal assistance from persons with disabilities and their families. The government provided such services.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The constitution and law provide for workers to form and join independent trade unions. The law also regulates the relations between trade unions and employer associations as well as mechanisms of collective conflict. The law provides for the rights to bargain collectively and to strike. Alternate dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration exist. The law neither prohibits antiunion discrimination nor requires the reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.While the government effectively enforced the law, the country’s main union, Unio Sindical d’Andorra (USdA), continued to allege the law does not effectively protect workers, especially those with short-term contracts. Penalties for violations were commensurate with those for other laws involving the denial of civil liberties.The government and employers respected freedom of association. Collective bargaining did not occur during the year. There were no official reports of or investigations into antiunion discrimination. Workers continued to be reluctant to admit to union membership due to fear of retaliation by their employers and arbitrary dismissal.On May 1 (Labor Day), labor unions organized the first protest since 2011, in which approximately 500 workers conducted a peaceful demonstration calling on the government to increase wages, reform the pension system and provide access to affordable housing. Protests continued December 9 with more than 300 persons denouncing low wages, cost of living increases and lack of access to housing, especially for migrant workers.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The government effectively enforced applicable laws.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibits children younger than age 14 from working and prohibits all the worst forms of child labor. Children ages 14 or 15 may work up to two months per year during school holidays following strict regulations contained in the law. The law limits work by children who are ages 14 or 15 to no more than six hours per day, limits work by children ages 16 or 17 to eight hours per day, provides for safety restrictions, restricts the types of work children may perform, and outlines other conditions. According to the law, children may not work overtime, work overnight, or work in dangerous occupations, especially in the construction sector. The law provides for protection of children from exploitation in the workplace. Penalties were commensurate with those for other similar crimes. The government effectively enforced the law. There were no confirmed reports during the year of the worst forms of child labor.																																				d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation										The law prohibits discrimination with respect to employment and occupation, and the government effectively enforced the law. Penalties were commensurate with other laws related to civil rights. Penalties were regularly applied against violators. Some cases of discrimination against persons with disabilities, persons based on sexual orientation, and women occurred with respect to employment or occupation. Discrimination against persons with disabilities existed in the form of social and cultural barriers, as well as disadvantages in the labor market. The Ministry of Social Affairs favored the hiring of persons with disabilities and promoted the Network of Inclusive Businesses. Member companies received fiscal and social incentives for participating.Women represented 48.6 percent of the workforce. The law requires equal pay for equal work. No cases were filed during the year, but the ADA and trade union representatives from the USdA reported cases of gender discrimination, especially relating to unequal salaries for the same work and workplace bullying. Victims were reluctant to file a complaint due to fear of reprisal from employers. The government’s Department of Statistics estimated that women earned on average 22 percent less than men for comparable work. In the financial sector, this increased to 44 percent. A study conducted by the Reig Foundation and the Andorran Center for Sociological Research showed that the wage gap increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government tried to combat pay discrimination in general and applied pay equality within the government.The new gender equality law approved in March requests companies with more than 50 workers to implement gender equality plans.																																				e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The national minimum wage was above the poverty level but not sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family.The government generally enforced minimum wage laws.Workers may work up to two overtime hours per day or 15 hours per week, 50 hours per month, and 426 hours per year. Penalties for wage and overtime violations were commensurate with those for similar crimes. The Labor Inspection Office, within the Ministry of Presidency and Economy, has the authority to levy sanctions and fines against companies violating standards and enforced compliance. The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct unannounced inspections.Occupational Safety and Health: Under the law, occupational safety and health (OSH) experts, rather than workers, are responsible for identifying unsafe situations. The law covers agricultural, domestic, and migrant workers.As of the end of July, the Labor Inspection Office had received 45 occupational safety- and health-related complaints. As of September, the Andorran Social Security Fund had registered 2,788 workplace accidents, which led to 1.292 persons on sick leave from their workplace for an average of 43 days. One death was registered.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The government effectively enforced occupational safety and health laws, and the penalties for violations were commensurate with those for crimes such as negligence.The Labor Inspection Office has the authority to levy sanctions and fines against companies violating standards and enforced compliance. The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct unannounced inspections. Inspections for occupational safety and health were conducted by the same inspectors under the same authorities as wage and hours.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																						d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																						e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																						f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																						b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																				Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																	Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																	Section 6. 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Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
- Andorra’s National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I send my warm wishes to the people of Andorra as they celebrate their patron saint, Our Lady of Meritxell.Our relationship with Andorra spans decades, and the United States is proud of our joint efforts on the Fulbright Program and the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs to advance our common goals of education and female empowerment.  We deeply appreciate Andorra’s efforts in joining with us to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine and to welcome Ukrainian refugees to their country.  We commend Andorra for its commitment to the fight against climate change and roles in the OSCE, the United Nations, and the International Monetary Fund.   As the world looks to future challenges, we look forward to deepening our friendship and cooperation with Andorra to promote shared values around the world.My best wishes to the people of Andorra for a joyous national day.
- Andorra HomeReportsBureau of Economic and Business Affairs2022 Investment Climate Statements&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2022 Investment Climate Statements: Andorra 																																																																																												 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																																									Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																																											Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																																											Business Facilitation																																																																											Outward Investment																																																																																	2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties																																																																																		3. Legal Regime																																																									Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																																											International Regulatory Considerations																																																																											Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																																											Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																																											Competition and Anti-Trust Laws																																																																											Expropriation and Compensation																																																																											Dispute Settlement																																																																											Bankruptcy Regulations																																																																																	4. Industrial Policies																																																									Investment Incentives																																																																											Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																																											Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																																																	5. Protection of Property Rights																																																																												Real Property																																																																											Intellectual Property Rights																																																																																	6. Financial Sector																																																									Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																																											Money and Banking System																																																																											Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																																											Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																																																	7. State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)																																																																												Privatization Program																																																																																	8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																																												Climate Issues																																																																																	9. Corruption																																																																																		10. Political and Security Environment																																																																																		11. Labor Policies and Practices																																																																																		12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																																																																																		13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics																																																									Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/Economy																																																																											Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDI																																																																																	14. Contact for More Information																																																																																																								Executive Summary				Andorra is an independent principality with a population of about 79,000 and area of 181 square miles situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. It uses the euro as its national currency. Andorra is a popular tourist destination visited by over 8 million people each year (pre-pandemic) who are drawn by outdoor activities like hiking and cycling in the summer and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, as well as by its duty-free shopping of luxury products. Andorra’s economy is based on an interdependent network of trade, commerce, and tourism, which represent nearly 60% of the economy, followed by the financial sector. Andorra has also become a wealthy international commercial center because of its integrated banking sector and low taxes. As part of its effort to modernize its economy, Andorra has opened to foreign investment and engaged in other reforms, including advancing tax initiatives. Andorra is actively seeking to attract foreign investment and to become a center for entrepreneurs, talent, innovation, and knowledge.The Andorran economy is undergoing a process of digitalization and diversification that accelerated due to the impact pandemic-related border closures had on its dominant tourist sector.  In 2006, the Government began sweeping economic reforms. The Parliament approved three main regulations to complement the first phase of economic openness:  the law of Companies (October 2007), the Law of Business Accounting (December 2007), and the Law of Foreign Investment (April 2008 and June 2012). From 2011 to 2017, the Parliament approved direct taxes in the form of a corporate tax, tax on economic activities, tax on income of non-residents, tax on capital gains, and personal income tax. Andorra joined the IMF in October 2020, providing it access to additional resources for managing its economy. Also, as part of the post-pandemic economic recovery plan, Andorra passed Horizon 23, a comprehensive roadmap backed by 80 million euros of public funds to accelerate economic diversification into sectors like fintech, sports tech, esports, and biotech. These regulations aim to establish a transparent, modern, and internationally comparable regulatory framework.These reforms aim to attract investment and businesses that have the potential to boost Andorra’s economic development and diversification. Prior to 2008, Andorra limited foreign investment, worried that large foreign firms would have an oversized impact on its small economy.  For example, previous regulations allowed non-citizens with less than 20 years residence in Andorra to own no more than 33 percent of a company. While foreigners may now own 100 percent of a trading enterprise or a holding company, the Government must approve the establishment of any private enterprise. The approval can take up to one month, which can be rejected if the proposal is found to negatively impact the environment, the public order, or the general interests of the principality.Andorra is a microstate that accounts for .001 percent of global emissions and has demonstrated its ambition to the fight against climate change by establishing a national strategy that commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by a minimum of 37 percent by 2030 and pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition to implementing an energy transition law, Andorra approved the Green Fund and a hydrocarbon tax to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.Andorra’s per capita income is above the European average and above the level of its neighbors. The country has developed a sophisticated infrastructure including a one-of-a-kind micro-fiber-optic network for the entire country that provides universal access for all households and companies. Andorra’s retail tradition is well known around Europe, thanks to more than 1,400 shops, the quality of their products, and competitive prices. Products taken out of the Principality are tax-free up to certain limits; the purchaser must declare those that exceed the allowance.Table 1: Key Metrics and RankingsData not available																																					1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment						    																																																Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment										Andorra has established an open framework for foreign investments, allowing non-residents to create companies in the country, open businesses, and invest in all kinds of assets.The Foreign Investment Law came into force in July 2012, completely opening the economy to foreign investors. Since then, foreigners, whether resident or not, may own up to 100 percent of any Andorra-based company. The law also liberalizes restrictions on foreign professionals seeking to work in Andorra. Previously, a foreigner could only begin to practice in Andorra after twenty years of residency. Under the current regulations, any Andorran legal resident from a country that has a reciprocal standard can work in Andorra, although special working permits are required for specific professions.The government of Andorra created Andorra Business ( https://www.andorrabusiness.com ), Andorra&#8217;s economic development and promotion office, to provide counseling services to both Andorran companies looking to grow and foreign investors wanting to start new businesses in Andorra. Andorra Business’ mission is to increase competitiveness, innovation, and the sustainability of the economy.Andorra Business’ five key objectives are:Promoting key sectors for the diversification of the economy.Being a motor in the improvement of the public sector and microeconomic environment.Attracting and supporting both foreign and local investment in key sectors.Providing support to Andorran businesses to be more competitive on a National and International scale.Creating favorable conditions for innovation and entrepreneurship, in both the public and private sectors, to create an environment for testing new innovations at the country level.The Andorran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of Andorra ( https://www.ccis.ad/ ) aims to promote and strengthen Andorra’s financial and business activity as well as provide services to foreign companies. The Chamber’s activities include organizing a census of commercial, industrial, and service activities; the protection of the general interests of commerce, industry, and services; promoting fair competition; and issuing certificates of origin and other commercial documents.The Andorran Business Confederation (CEA) provides support to national companies to navigate within Andorra’s new legal, labor, and fiscal framework and facilitates companies’ international expansion projects. CEA also works to foster international investment into the country through its  Iwand project , which provides information about Andorra’s economic and fiscal environment ( www.cea.ad ).																																				Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment										The Andorran legal framework has also adapted to international standards. The most relevant laws passed by Parliament to accompany the economic openness include the law of Companies (October 2007), the Law of Business Accounting (December 2007), and the Law of Foreign Investment (April 2008 and June 2012).The OECD removed Andorra from its “tax haven list” in 2009 after the country signed the Paris Declaration, formally committing to sharing fiscal information outlined by the agreement. With the approval of the Law 19/2016, of November the 30th, on automatic exchange of information on tax matters, Andorra will exchange financial information with signatories of the “Common Reporting Standard” (CRS), developed by the G20 and approved by the OECD Council in July 2014.From 2011 to 2019, the Parliament approved direct corporate, non-resident, capital gains, and personal income taxes. At 10 percent, well below the European average, Andorra’s corporate tax is more competitive than rates in neighboring Spain or France.While foreigners may own 100 percent of a trading enterprise or a holding company, the Government must approve the establishment of any private enterprise. The approval can take up to one month and can be rejected if the proposal is found to negatively impact the environment, the public order, or the general interests of the principality.																																				Other Investment Policy Reviews										On June 2021, the IMF released a  report  detailing Andorra’s macro-economic trends and investment climate. In the past five years the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Trade Organization (WTO), or the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have not conducted an investment policy review. The government of Andorra, in responding to the economic downturn of COVID, released Horizon 23, an economic recovery roadmap to increase investment competitivenessIn the past five years, civil society organizations have not provided reviews of investment policy-related concerns.																																				Business Facilitation										Andorra established Andorra Business, a public/private agency, made up of several ministries, government agencies, associations, and organizations from the private sector. It aims to increase competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability. It provides counseling services to Andorran companies and potential foreign investors to facilitate investment and economic diversification.Andorran regulations allow for two types of commercial companies: Limited Liability Company (Societat de Responsabilitat Limitada – SL), which has a minimum capital requirement of 3,000 euros; and Joint Stock Company (Societat Anonima – SA) which is normally required for multiple shareholders and has a minimum capital requirement of 60,000 euros.The business establishment procedures and for share acquisitions or transfers are quite similar to those of other countries, requiring the filling of a simple application form, with the additional unique condition of the presentation of any prior investment authorization received in the country. This same procedure is applicable for incorporation, establishment, extension, branching, or other form of business expansion. Once the company is registered, the foreign investment is established, and the investor is required to deposit the share capital with an Andorran banking entity and proceed to public deed of incorporation before a notary.																																				Outward Investment										The Government’s Andorra Business programs provide grants, counseling, and online resourced to small and medium size companies to foster competitiveness and facilitate internationalization.The Andorran Chamber of Commerce ( www.ccis.ad ) helps companies search for business opportunities abroad and organizes, with the government, trade missions to explore international business exchanges.																																												2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties						    																																															Andorra has bilateral agreements with France (2003), Spain (2003), and Portugal (2007). No bilateral investment treaty exists between Andorra and the United States.Andorra has signed Tax Information Exchange agreements for the exchange of fiscal information with 24 countries. All those agreements have been ratified and are in force.In 2014, Andorra became the 48th signatory to the OECD Declaration on Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters, which commits countries to end bank secrecy for tax evasion purposes. Andorra is a member of the OECD’s Inclusive Framework base erosion profit shifting (BEPS). Additionally, Andorra ratified the Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, which came into effect January 1, 2022. Andorra signed a Non-Double Taxation agreement with France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Malta, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, San Marino, and Hungary and is currently negotiating other such agreements.																																												3. Legal Regime						    																																																Transparency of the Regulatory System										Andorra set out transparent policies and laws, which have significantly liberalized all economic sectors in Andorra. New foreign-owned businesses must be approved by the government and the process can take up to a month. Andorra is committed to a transparent process. Andorra has begun to relax labor and immigration standards; previously, foreign professionals had to establish 20 years of residency before being eligible to own 100 percent of their business in Andorra. This restriction has been lifted for nationals coming from countries that have reciprocal standards for Andorran citizens.Following approval of the new Accounting Law in 2007, individuals carrying out business or professional activities, trading companies, and legal persons or entities with a profit purpose must file financial statements with the administration.																																				International Regulatory Considerations										Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Andorra is a member of the European Customs Union and is subject to all EU free trade regulations and arrangements regarding industrial products. Concerning agriculture, the EU allows duty free importation of products originating in Andorra.Andorra is negotiating a new association agreement with the European Union alongside Monaco and San Marino that will allow Andorrans to establish themselves in Europe and Andorran companies will be able to trade in the EU market.Andorra holds observer status at the WTO, although it took steps in the past for full membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Andorra became the 190th member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October 2020.																																				Legal System and Judicial Independence										Andorra has a mixed legal system of civil and customary law with the influence of canon law. The judiciary is independent from the executive branch. The Supreme Court consists of a court president and eight judges, organized into civil, criminal, and administrative chambers. Four magistrates make up the Constitutional Court. The Tribunal of Judges and the Tribunal of the Courts are lower courts. Regulations and enforcement actions can be appealed in the national court system.																																				Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment										The Law on Foreign Investment (10/2012) entered into force in 2012, opening the country’s economy by removing the sectorial restrictions stipulated in the prior legislation. In this way, Andorra has positioned itself on equal terms with neighboring economies, enabling it to become more competitive for new sectors and enterprises. On March 2022, Andorra approved a sanctions package in line with EU sanctions against designated Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities.Andorra Business is responsible for economic promotion and provides information on relevant laws, rules, procedures to set up a business in Andorra, as well as reporting requirements to investors. The organization also provides other services to facilitate foreign and local investments in strategic sectors.																																				Competition and Anti-Trust Laws										The Law on Effective Competence and Consumer Protection (13/2013) protects investors against unfair practices. The Ministry of Economy is responsible for administering anti-trust laws and reviews transactions for both domestic and international competition-related concerns.																																				Expropriation and Compensation										The Law of Expropriation (1993) allows the Government to expropriate private property for public purposes in accordance with international norms, including appropriate compensation. We know of no incidents of expropriation involving the U.S. entities in Andorra.																																				Dispute Settlement										ICSID Convention and New York ConventionAndorra became a party to the New York Convention of 1958 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards in September 2015, requiring Andorran courts to enforce financial awards. Andorra is not a member of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).Investor-State Dispute SettlementAndorran legislation establishes mechanisms to resolve disputes if they arise and its judicial system is transparent. The constitution guarantees an independent judiciary branch, overseen by a High Council of Justice. The prosecution system allows for successive appeals to higher courts. The European Court of Justice is the ultimate arbiter of unsettled appeals.Contractual disputes between U.S. individuals or companies and Andorran entities are rare, but when they arise are handled appropriately. There have been no reported cases of U.S. investment disputes.International Commercial Arbitration and Foreign CourtsParties to a dispute can also resolve disputes contractually through arbitration. The Arbitration Court of the Principality of Andorra (TAPA) was established in July 2020 by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services and the Andorran Bar Association in accordance with Law 16/2018. The main goal of this institution is to mediate both national and international business disputes to reach a fair settlement for both parties without having to go to court.																																				Bankruptcy Regulations										Andorra’s bankruptcy decree dates to 1969. Other laws from 2008 and 2014 complement the initial text and further protect workers’ rights to fair salaries and sets up mechanisms to monitor the implementation of judicial resolutions. Additionally, Law 8/2015 outlines urgent measures allowing Government intervention of the banking sector in a crisis.																																												4. Industrial Policies						    																																																Investment Incentives										Andorra has been known for its favorable tax regime, which investors have used to promote products such as tobacco, alcohol, jewelry, cosmetics, and dairy. In recent years, Andorra has reached agreements with neighboring countries to limit and regulate duty-free sales with a view towards promoting economic integration, though smuggling continues to be an issue. Andorra is a member of the European Customs Union and therefore has no tariffs on EU-manufactured goods.Andorra is actively seeking to attract foreign investment and to become a center for entrepreneurs, talent, innovation, and knowledge. For example, Grifols, a large Spanish pharmaceutical multinational, announced that they will establish a new immunology research hub in Andorra.Andorra Business provides grants for small and medium-sized companies to foster competitiveness and facilitate their internationalization. The ActuaTech Foundation was created in 2015, in collaboration with the Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with the aim of employing Andorra’s unique economy as a &#8220;living lab&#8221; to promote innovation at the country level. Andorra, thanks to its size, recent liberalizing legislation, relative affluence, and its eight million visitors per year, offers ideal conditions to test this technology (https://ari.ad/en).The United States Embassy and Consulate in Spain launched the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in April 2022 aimed at fostering women entrepreneurship in Andorra ( https://www.andorrabusiness.com/programa-awe/).In May 2021, three of the country ́s research and innovation entities merged to become a single public body: Andorra Research + Innovation, integrated by the Andorran Studies Institute, Andorra ́s Sustainability Observatory, and Actua Innovation. This public entity seeks to generate knowledge, provide solutions for sustainable development, and contribute to the diversification of the Andorran economy.																																				Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation										Although not a full member of the European Union (EU), Andorra, as a member of the European Customs Union, is subject to all EU free trade regulations and arrangements regarding industrial products. Moreover, the EU allows duty free importations of products acquired by visitors in Andorra in the framework of the franchises covered in the Customs Union Agreement (1990). Concerning agriculture, the EU allows duty free importation of products originating in Andorra. No free trade zones exist in the country.																																				Performance and Data Localization Requirements										All employees wishing to work in Andorra must have work permits issued by annual quotas established by the Andorran government.Both domestic and foreign private entities have the right to establish and own business enterprises. While foreigners may now own 100 percent of a trading enterprise or a holding company, the Government must approve the establishment of any private enterprise. For a foreign resident, the process for obtaining permissions takes up to one month and is automatically approved if there are no objections. An application can be rejected if the proposal is found to negatively impact the environment, the public order, or the general interests of the principality. As soon as the foreign investor receives authorization to invest in the country, national laws are applicable just like any other national investor.Andorra does not follow a “forced localization” policy.																																												5. Protection of Property Rights						    																																															The constitution guarantees the right to private ownership for citizens and residents. Both domestic and foreign private entities now have the right to establish and own business enterprises.																																				Real Property										Andorran law protects property rights with enforcement carried out at the administrative and judicial levels. Foreign investments for the purchase of property are possible in Andorra, subject to prior authorization. There is a four percent asset-transfer tax.Secured property loans are available through the Andorran banking sector. The Andorran Financial Authority (AFA) oversees the banking sector, including mortgages ( https://www.afa.ad/en ).																																				Intellectual Property Rights										Andorra joined the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1994 and is party to the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention, as well as the Rome Convention since 2004. Andorra is not a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) but holds observer status. The country’s intellectual property rights (IPR) regime is not in compliance with the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).Protection of IPR in Andorra is weak. The legal framework includes the Trademarks Act of May 1, 1995, the Law 26/2014 on Patents of October 30 the Law on Authors’ and Neighboring Rights of June 1999, and Law 23/2011, of December 29, 2011, on the Creation of the Society of Collective Management of Copyright and Neighboring Rights.In 2012, the Society for the Administration of Authors’ Rights (SDADV) was created to manage the economic rights, neighboring rights, and the interests of copyright holders. Right holders can choose whether to participate in this voluntary collective arrangement though in some cases, the collective arrangement system is compulsory.Businesses seeking to register a trademark or patent should contact the Andorran Trademarks Office and Patents Office.Trademarks and Patents Office of the Principality of AndorraMinistry of EconomyEdifici Administratiu del Prat del RullCami de la Grau s/nAD 500 Andorra La VellaTel. (376) 875 600Email: ompa@govern.ad  http://www.ompa.ad/ Andorra is not listed in the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Special 301 Report nor included in the Notorious Markets List.For additional information about national laws and points of contact at local IP offices, please see WIPO’s country profiles at  http://www.wipo.int/directory/en/ .																																												6. Financial Sector						    																																																Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment										The Andorran financial sector is efficient and is one of the main pillars of the Andorran economy, representing 20 percent of the country’s GDP and over 5 percent of the workforce.Created in 1989, and redefined with more responsibilities in 2003, the Andorran Financial Authority (AFA;  www.afa.ad ) is the supervisory and regulatory body of the Andorranfinancial system and the insurance sector. The AFA is a public entity with its own legal status, functionally independent from the Government. AFA has the power to carry out all necessary actions to ensure the correct development of its supervision and control functions, disciplinary and punitive powers, treasury and public debt management services, financial agency, international relations, advice, and studies.The Andorran Financial Intelligence Unit (UIFAND) was created in 2000 as an independent organ to deal with the tasks of promoting and coordinating measures to combat money laundering, terror financing, and the proliferation of weapons ( www.uifand.ad ).The State Agency for the Resolution of Banking Institutions (AREB) is a public-legal institution created by Law 8/2015 to take urgent measures to introduce mechanisms for the recovery and resolution of banking institutions ( www.areb.ad ).																																				Money and Banking System										Andorra adopted the use of the Euro in 2002 and in 2011 signed a Monetary Agreement with the EU making the Euro the official currency. Since July 1, 2013, Andorra has had the right to mint Euro coins.The Andorra banking system is sound and considered the most important part of the financial sector. It represents 20 percent of the country’s GDP. The Andorran banks offer a variety of services at market rates. The main lines of business in the banking sector are retail banking, private banking, and asset management and insurance. The country also has a sizeable and growing market for portfolio investments. The country does not have a central bank. The sector is regulated and supervised by the Andorran Financial Authority (AFA).The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has certified all the Andorran banks as qualified intermediaries.Founded in 1960, the Association of Andorran Banks (ABA;  https://www.andorranba nking.ad/) represents Andorran banks. Among its tasks are representing and defending interests of its members, watching over the development and competitiveness of Andorran banking at national and international levels, improving sector technical standards, cooperation with public administrations, and promoting professional training, particularly dealing with money laundering prevention. At present, all five Andorran banking groups are ABA members, totaling an estimated 51.7 billion Euros in combined assets for 2021.																																				Foreign Exchange and Remittances										Foreign ExchangeAndorra adopted the Euro in 2002 and in 2011 signed a Monetary Agreement with the EU making the Euro the official currency. Since 2013, Andorra has the authority to mint Euro coins.Remittance PoliciesThere are no limits or restrictions on remittances provided that they correspond to a company’s official earning records.																																				Sovereign Wealth Funds										Andorra has no Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).																																												7. State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)						    																																															Andorra has 35 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) associated with health, social services, and energy and telecommunication, which are generally allowed to compete with private enterprises without restriction. The only exception is the government-owned Andorra Telecom, which has enjoyed a monopoly on the telecommunications industry since 2015.The Andorran public sector is made up of the central Administration and seven local administrations, one for each of the country’s seven parishes. The public sector employs 11 percent of Andorra’s workforce, or approximately 4,743 employees.																																				Privatization Program										Andorra has no current plans to privatize any of its SOEs.																																												8. Responsible Business Conduct						    																																															Andorra has taken steps to promote responsible business conduct, including Law 35/2008, which establishes a protocol for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for men and women and a gender-equality law approved in April 2022 that among other requirements sets a 60% ceiling for gender representation on governing boards.Over the years, the Andorran banking sector has been consolidating its voluntary responsible business conduct practices, mainly through their foundations. Rather than focus on a due diligence approach to lower risks, as promoted by international guidelines such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises or UN Guidance on Business and Human Rights, the banking sector establishes private initiatives to promote responsible business conduct in a variety of areas like culture, sports, solidarity, education, and the environment. There are no reported cases of human or labor rights concerns related to responsible business conduct.																																				Climate Issues										The government of Andorra updated its National Energy Strategy Against Climate Change in February 2021. The national strategy commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by a minimum of 37 percent by 2030 and pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050.Andorra is responsible for an estimated 0.001 percent of global emissions, a figure that has continued to decrease since 2005. Since 2018, Andorra has implemented an energy transition law, approved the national strategic plan for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, approved the declaration of a state of climate and ecological emergency, established a National Commission for Energy and Climate Change, and updated the National Energy Strategy for the Fight Against Climate ChangeThe government of Andorra approved the Green Fund, through Law 21/2018, to encourage plans and actions for the development of climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Earmarked green taxes, complementary budgetary allocations, donations and contributions received, and any other potential income sustains the fund ( https://www.govern.ad/taxaverda ).Andorra has created a price for carbon as an additional element of the general branch of the excise tax on hydrocarbons whose use generates or is likely to generate greenhouse gas emissions.																																												9. Corruption						    																																															Andorra’s laws penalize corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, hostage taking, sale of illegal arms, prostitution, terrorism, as well as the financing of terrorism. Additional amendments were added in 2008, 2014, 2015, and 2016 to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code that modify and introduce money laundering and terrorism financing provisions.In 1994, Andorra joined the Council of Europe, an institution that oversees the defense of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. That same year, the Justice Ministers of the Member States decided to fight corruption at the European level after considering that the phenomenon posed a serious threat to the stability of democratic institutions.In early 2005, Andorra joined the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in its fight against corruption. Andorra has gradually built its internal regulations and relevant legal instruments and has undertaken numerous initiatives to improve the State’s response to reprehensible acts and conduct committed internally and internationally.Andorra created the Unit for the Prevention and the Fight against Corruption (UPLC) in 2008 to centralize and coordinate actions that might concern local administrations, national bodies, and entities with an international scope. UPLC is responsible for implementing the recommendations made by GRECO.Andorra has not signed the UN Anticorruption Convention or the OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.There are explicitly defined rules for the ethical behavior of all participating bodies within the Andorran financial system. The Andorran Financial Authority (AFA) has also established rules regarding ethical behavior in the financial system.The Andorran government modified and implemented new laws to comply with international corruption standards. The Andorran Financial Intelligence Unit (UIFAND), created in 2000 is an independent body charged with mitigating money laundering and terrorist funding ( www.uifand.ad ).Resources to Report Corruption:Unitat de Prevencio i Lluita contra la CorrupcioMinisteri de Justicia i InteriorGovern d’AndorraCtra.de l’Obac s/nAD700 Escaldes-EngordanyPhone: +376 875 700Email:  uplc_govern@govern.ad 																																												10. Political and Security Environment						    																																															Andorra has not experienced any politically motivated damage to projects or installations, or destruction of private property. There are no nascent insurrections, belligerent neighbors, or other politically motivated activities. The likelihood of widespread civil disturbances is very low. Civil unrest is generally not a problem in Andorra. No anti-American sentiment is evident in the country.																																												11. Labor Policies and Practices						    																																															All employees wishing to work in Andorra must have work permits, issued by annual quotas established by the government. The tourism sector is the largest labor sector.The Andorran constitution recognizes workers’ rights to form trade unions to defend their economic and social interests. Alternative dispute mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration do exist. Despite these rights, union membership is relatively low.Andorra is not a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO).There were a total of 42,931 employed workers in Andorra in December 2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate increased from 1.8 percent in 2019 to 3 percent in 2020 but improved to 2.2 percent as of the fourth quarter of 2021. The government of Andorra approved a 3.3 percent increase in the minimum wage that went into effect January 1, 2022, bringing it to 6.68 euros (roughly USD 7.40) per hour and 1,158 euros (roughly USD 1,283) per month.																																												12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs						    																																															Andorra does not participate in government programs such as those offered by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) or the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).																																												13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics						    																																																Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/Economy										Data unavailable.																																				Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDI										Data unavailable.																																												14. Contact for More Information						    																																															ECON Officer, Omar Medina,  medinao@state.gov POL/ECON Specialist, Eulalia d’Ortado;  OrtadoE@state.gov United States Consulate General Barcelonatel. 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Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment																																							Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Limits on Foreign Control and Right to Private Ownership and Establishment																																																						Other Investment Policy Reviews																																																						Business Facilitation																																																						Outward Investment																																																			2. Bilateral Investment Agreements and Taxation Treaties																																																	3. Legal Regime																																							Transparency of the Regulatory System																																																						International Regulatory Considerations																																																						Legal System and Judicial Independence																																																						Laws and Regulations on Foreign Direct Investment																																																						Competition and Anti-Trust Laws																																																						Expropriation and Compensation																																																						Dispute Settlement																																																						Bankruptcy Regulations																																																			4. Industrial Policies																																							Investment Incentives																																																						Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports/Trade Facilitation																																																						Performance and Data Localization Requirements																																																			5. Protection of Property Rights																																																				Real Property																																																						Intellectual Property Rights																																																			6. Financial Sector																																							Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment																																																						Money and Banking System																																																						Foreign Exchange and Remittances																																																						Sovereign Wealth Funds																																																			7. State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)																																																				Privatization Program																																																			8. Responsible Business Conduct																																																				Climate Issues																																																			9. Corruption																																																	10. Political and Security Environment																																																	11. Labor Policies and Practices																																																	12. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and Other Investment Insurance or Development Finance Programs																																																	13. Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment Statistics																																							Table 2: Key Macroeconomic Data, U.S. FDI in Host Country/Economy																																																						Table 3: Sources and Destination of FDI																																																			14. Contact for More Information																																																							Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
- Andorra HomeReportsOffice of International Religious Freedom2021 Report on International Religious Freedom&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2021 Report on International Religious Freedom: Andorra																																					Office of International Religious Freedom																								June 2, 2022																																																																																			Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							Executive Summary																																													Executive Summary																															Section I. Religious Demography																																																																																		Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																																									Legal Framework																																																																											Government Practices																																																																																	Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																																																		Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																																																																								Executive Summary				The constitution provides for freedom of individuals to manifest their religion or belief and prohibits religious discrimination.  It names two co-princes – the President of France and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain – as joint heads of state.  In accordance with the constitution, the government offers the Catholic Church privileges not available to other religious groups.  At year’s end, the government had not identified public land for use as a multiconfessional cemetery, despite announcing in 2020 that it had begun a search for a suitable property.  The government issued religious work permits only to Catholics, but it allowed non-Catholics to reside and perform religious work in the country under a different status.  In October, the government approved a ban on the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, including headscarves, kippahs, and large crosses, after a Muslim family accused the French school of discrimination because it required the family’s daughter to remove her headscarf in school.In the absence of a mosque in the country, the Muslim community continued to rent two prayer rooms.  The Catholic Church of Santa Maria del Fener in Andorra la Vella continued to lend its sanctuary twice a month to the Anglican community.The U.S. Ambassador, resident in Spain, and the Consul General and other officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona met and communicated regularly with senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Interior, and Social Affairs, Housing and Youth, as well as with officials in the Office of the Ombudsman.  During visits to the country and in periodic communications, consulate officials discussed with Jewish and Muslim leaders and human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) issues such as the lack of official status for faiths other than Catholicism and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities.  The consulate general used social media to convey messages on the importance of religious freedom.																														Section I.													 Religious Demography												    																																															The U.S. government estimates the total population at 86,000 (midyear 2021).  The Andorran government estimates the population at 78,000 (2020 data), including 38,000 citizens and 40,000 other residents, mostly from Spain, France, and Portugal.  The local government does not provide statistics on the size of religious groups, and there is no census data on religious group membership.  In 2019, government officials estimated that 92 percent of the population was Roman Catholic.  Muslim leaders estimate their community, largely composed of recent immigrants, has approximately 2,000 members.  The Jewish community reports it has approximately 100 members.  Other small religious groups include Hindus, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, the Baha’i Faith, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the New Apostolic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.																																					Section II.													 Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																																Legal Framework										The constitution guarantees “freedom of ideas, religion, and worship.”  It prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and stipulates no one shall be required to disclose his or her religion or beliefs.  The constitution states such freedoms may be limited only to protect public safety, order, health, or morals, as prescribed by law or to protect the rights of others.  The constitution acknowledges a special relationship with the Catholic Church “in accordance with Andorran tradition” and recognizes the “full legal capacity” of the bodies of the Catholic Church, granting them legal status “in accordance with their own rules.”  The Catholic Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain, whose diocese includes Andorra and is one of two constitutionally designated princes of the country, serves equally as joint head of state with the other prince, the President of France.  The current Bishop of Urgell is Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicilia.The law provides for the right to equal treatment and nondiscrimination, including for members of any religious group.  The law establishes judicial, administrative, and institutional guarantees, which protect and provide compensation for victims of discrimination.  The law also provides for fines of up to 24,000 euros ($27,200) in cases of discrimination, including on the basis of religious affiliation, and stipulates the burden of proof in such cases rests with the defendant, who must demonstrate there has not been discrimination.Faiths other than Catholicism do not have legal status as religious groups.  The government registers religious communities as cultural organizations under the law of associations, which does not specifically mention religious groups.  To build a place of worship or seek government financial support for community activities, a religious group must acquire legal status by registering as a nonprofit cultural organization.  To register, a group must provide its statutes and foundational agreement, a statement certifying the names of persons appointed to the board or other official positions in the organization, and a patrimony declaration that identifies the inheritance or endowment of the organization.  A consolidated register of associations records all types of associations, including religious groups.The national ombudsman is responsible for investigating complaints of racism, discrimination, and intolerance, including those involving a religious motivation, in the public and private sectors.  The ombudsman makes recommendations to the public administration to correct problems and reports annually to parliament.  The ombudsman is a member of the commissions established by the Observatory on Equality, which is tasked with collecting and analyzing data and advising the government on issues pertaining to equality and discrimination, including those involving religious issues.The law requires individuals applying for official documents, such as residence permits, passports, and driver’s licenses, to appear and be photographed with their heads uncovered.According to the law, municipalities are responsible for the construction, preservation, and administration of cemeteries and funerary services.Government regulation permits ritual slaughter as required by the Islamic or Jewish faith, as long as it takes place under the supervision of the veterinary services of the country’s slaughterhouse.Instruction in the Catholic faith is optional in public schools.  The Catholic Church provides teachers for religion classes, and the government provides space in public schools for Catholic religious instruction and pays the teachers’ salaries.The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.																																				Government Practices										The Catholic Church continued to receive special privileges not available to other religious groups.  The government paid the salaries of the eight Catholic priests serving in local churches and granted all foreign Catholic priests citizenship for as long as they exercised their functions in the country.Despite longstanding requests by Muslim and Jewish community representatives for cemeteries where they could bury their dead according to their rituals and traditions, the government had not identified by year’s end a location for a multiconfessional cemetery, despite the announcement in 2020 that it had begun a search for public land on which to build such a cemetery.  Government officials stated that the Ministry of Territorial Planning was still looking for a suitable site on public land.Muslim community representatives stated they were disappointed by the lack of government response to their requests.  According to municipal authorities, Jews and Muslims could use existing cemeteries, but these did not allocate separate burial areas for these communities to use.  As a result, most Jews and Muslims continued to bury their dead outside the country.  Muslim community representatives, however, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult to bury their dead outside of the country due to pandemic travel and health restrictions.The government continued to fund three public Catholic schools at the primary and secondary level.  These were open to students of all faiths.  Catholic instruction was mandatory for all students attending these schools.The Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Youth stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Observatory on Equality stopped work during the year, but the work of the national ombudsman continued.During the year, the national ombudsman’s office did not report receiving any complaints of religiously motivated discrimination or intolerance in the public or private sectors.  The principal religious groups said they had not reported any incidents of discrimination to the ombudsman.  The Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Youth said it had not received any complaints of religiously motivated discrimination.In September, a Muslim family accused the French school Lycee Comte de Foix of discrimination and racism after the school required the family’s daughter, aged 11, to remove her headscarf while in school.  Government officials stated that French law prohibiting students from wearing “conspicuous religious symbols,” including the Islamic headscarf, Jewish skullcap, Sikh turban, and large Christian crosses, was applicable, as the school was part of France’s public school system, per a bilateral agreement.At the time of the complaint, the country had no overarching laws regulating the use of religious symbols in its educational system.  On October 4, following the complaint, the government modified the public school regulations nationwide to include a ban on the use of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, including headscarves, kippahs, and large crosses.The government continued to maintain a policy of issuing religious work permits for foreigners performing religious functions only to members of the Catholic Church.  Foreign religious workers belonging to other groups said they could enter the country with permits for other positions such as schoolteachers or business workers and carry out religious work without hindrance.Catholic rituals, such as priests blessing those gathered for an event or leading a Mass before an event, continued to be a part of many state ceremonies, including annual national day celebrations.																																					Section III.													 Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom												    																																															In the absence of a mosque in the country, the Muslim community continued to rely on two Islamic prayer rooms that it rented in Andorra la Vella and in Escaldes-Engordany.The Catholic Church of Santa Maria del Fener in Andorra la Vella continued to lend its sanctuary twice a month to the Anglican community so that visiting Anglican clergy could conduct services for the English-speaking members of that community.																																					Section IV.													 U.S. Government Policy and Engagement												    																																															The U.S. Ambassador, resident in Spain, and the Consul General and other officials from the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona reiterated the importance of religious tolerance in periodic in-person and virtual meetings and other communications with officials in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs; Social Affairs, Housing, and Youth; and Justice and Interior, as well as the Office of the Ombudsman.  Consulate general staff discussed the implementation of the law pertaining to equal treatment and nondiscrimination with representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing, and Youth and raised continued concerns about the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities with senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials.In periodic communications and meetings with representatives and human rights NGOs, consulate general officials discussed the groups’ views on issues pertaining to their exercise of religious freedom in the country, including the lack of legal status for religious groups other than the Catholic Church and the lack of cemeteries for the Jewish and Muslim communities.&nbsp;																																				    							View report by:																				Afghanistan											Albania											Algeria											Andorra											Angola											Antigua and Barbuda											Argentina											Armenia											Australia											Austria											Azerbaijan											Bahamas, The											Bahrain											Bangladesh											Barbados											Belarus											Belgium											Belize											Benin											Bhutan											Bolivia											Bosnia and Herzegovina											Botswana											Brazil											Brunei											Bulgaria											Burkina Faso											Burma											Burundi											Cabo Verde											Cambodia											Cameroon											Canada											Central African Republic											Chad											Chile											China (Includes Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Macau)											Colombia											Comoros											Costa Rica											Cote d&#8217;Ivoire											Croatia											Cuba											Cyprus											Czech Republic											Democratic Republic of the Congo											Denmark											Djibouti											Dominica											Dominican Republic											Ecuador											Egypt											El Salvador											Equatorial Guinea											Eritrea											Estonia											Eswatini											Ethiopia											Fiji											Finland											France											Gabon											Gambia, The											Georgia											Germany											Ghana											Greece											Grenada											Guatemala											Guinea											Guinea-Bissau											Guyana											Haiti											Honduras											Hungary											Iceland											India											Indonesia											Iran											Iraq											Ireland											Israel, West Bank and Gaza											Italy											Jamaica											Japan											Jordan											Kazakhstan											Kenya											Kiribati											Kosovo											Kuwait											Kyrgyzstan											Laos											Latvia											Lebanon											Lesotho											Liberia											Libya											Liechtenstein											Lithuania											Luxembourg											Madagascar											Malawi											Malaysia											Maldives											Mali											Malta											Marshall Islands											Mauritania											Mauritius											Mexico											Micronesia											Moldova											Monaco											Mongolia											Montenegro											Morocco											Mozambique											Namibia											Nauru											Nepal											Netherlands											New Zealand											Nicaragua											Niger											Nigeria											North Korea											North Macedonia											Norway											Oman											Pakistan											Palau											Panama											Papua New Guinea											Paraguay											Peru											Philippines											Poland											Portugal											Qatar											Republic of the Congo											Romania											Russia											Rwanda											Saint Kitts and Nevis											Saint Lucia											Saint Vincent and the Grenadines											Samoa											San Marino											Sao Tome and Principe											Saudi Arabia											Senegal											Serbia											Seychelles											Sierra Leone											Singapore											Slovakia											Slovenia											Solomon Islands											Somalia											South Africa											South Korea											South Sudan											Spain											Sri Lanka											Sudan											Suriname											Sweden											Switzerland											Syria											Taiwan											Tajikistan											Tanzania											Thailand											Timor-Leste											Togo											Tonga											Trinidad and Tobago											Tunisia											Turkey											Turkmenistan											Tuvalu											Uganda											Ukraine											United Arab Emirates											United Kingdom											Uruguay											Uzbekistan											Vanuatu											Venezuela											Vietnam											Yemen											Zambia											Zimbabwe															Build A Custom Report																						On This Page				search													>																										Executive Summary																Section I. Religious Demography																																																	Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom																																							Legal Framework																																																						Government Practices																																																			Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom																																																	Section IV. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement																																																							Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Office of International Religious Freedom																																Religious Freedom
- Investment Opportunities in Andorra Bureau of Economic and Business AffairsTopic: Investment Opportunities in AndorraHost: Consul General Katie StanaDate and Time: Recorded March 2022Brief Description of Call:  The Direct Line Webinar program is proud to present &#8220;Investment Opportunities in Andorra,&#8221; the first of many upcoming, pre-recorded &#8220;Direct Line On Demand&#8221; programs featuring investment and export opportunities for U.S. firms, including small to medium-sized American enterprises in smaller markets.  In just ten minutes, learn why this is the best time for American companies to consider investing in Andorra.  The program is hosted by Katie Stana, U.S. Consul General in Barcelona, and Marc Galabert, Secretary of State for Economic Diversification and Innovation of the Government of Andorra.  For more information on the opportunities underscored in this recording, American companies can reach out directly to the U.S. Consulate team promoting American companies in Andorra, at AndorraDirectLine@state.gov.OMAR MEDINA: Hello, my name is Omar Medina. I’m the Economic Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Barcelona, Spain. I’m here with our Consul General, Katie Stana and with the Andorra Secretary of State for Economic Diversification and Innovation, Marc Galabert. Katie and Marc will talk about investment opportunities in Andorra. Katie?KATIE STANA: Thank you, Omar. Hello. I’m Katie Stana, the Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Barcelona. My team and I manage the day-to-day bilateral relationship between the United States and Andorra. I wanted to talk briefly on why you should consider investing in Andorra. The U.S.-Anorran relationship is excellent. Andorra is a close European ally that shares U.S. views on good governance, the rule of law, transparency, and free market economics. Andorra and the United States work together at the United Nations to tackle global problems like COVID and climate change and we are actively seeking new opportunities to strengthen our shared values, economic prosperity, and educational exchanges.There’s no doubt that the COVID pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economies of the world and Andorra was no exception. However, out of the shadow of the pandemic, the government of Andorra seized an opportunity to strengthen its traditional sectors like tourism and banking while taking significant steps to diversify and digitalize its economy. For example, Andorra’s Digital Transformation Program seeks to modernize government services, upscale current businesses on the digital economy, conform to EU regulations, and attract new investments through upgraded digital infrastructure and services. Additionally, Andorra recently opened an air route from Madrid to the Andorra La Seu d’Urgell Airport making it easier for foreigners to access the country. Companies are taking notice. Grifols, the Spanish pharmaceutical with over $9 billion invested in the U.S. market will open an immunology research hub in Andorra in 2023.Marc Galababert, Andorra’s Secretary of State for Economic Diversification and Innovation will talk about two important sectors that are right for U.S. investments. But before we get into specifics, I wanted to let you know that my team is here to support American companies interested in doing business in Andorra. At the conclusion of this video, our economics officer will provide you with an email address where you can inquire more about these investment opportunities. Thank you. Over to you, Marc.MARC GALABERT: Thank you, Consular General. Dear American business community, my name is Marc Galabert and I am the Secretary of State for Economic Diversification and Innovation in Andorra. First of all, I would like to thank the American Consulate and the American Embassy in Spain and in Andorra forthe opportunity to record this short video and present the economic framework and the economic opportunities in Andorra.Andorra is located in Europe between France and Spain and we are very, very small. We are only 310 square miles and our population is around 78,000 people only. I will share my screen to present what are the main opportunities in Andorra. Although we are very small, we believe we are a very dynamic economy. Our GDP is around $3.1 billion and this 2021, we had a growth of over 11%. Our GDP per capita which is above the EU average is around $39,000 and our unemployment rate remains very low, even with the pandemic. As you can see, we are an economy centered services and retail, financial, and real estate are one of the most traditional sectors in our economy. This is why to be more resilient, we want to diversify our economic model. However, the Andorran economy is an economy to trust. We had this foreign direct investment law passed in 2012 which opened the Andorran economy to foreign investment and since then, we’ve had a spectacular growth on the foreign direct investment around 7600% which makes 160% annual growth since the beginning. This bordered the 20% of the GDP in this year 2021. And although it is true that the foreign investment fell during the pandemic from the 10% to the 5.5%, the COVID management and also the economic measures set forward by the Andorran government reached to make foreign investment to grow up around 20% of the GDP again.As you can see, the main investments remain in the real estate, retail, and business services and we are seeing a trend in more and more opportunities to invest in digital economy and also in biotech and this is the two sectors I want to speak to you on the Economic Diversification Program that we have in the Andorran economy. Is it also true that these investors by country are also very concentrated in between France and Spain, but we are always seeking to also diversify this origin of the investors to be able to be more resilient to the economic turmoil scenarios.Besides being very dynamic, we believe that we live in one of the best countries in Europe, we have the second longest life expectancy of the world, only after Japan and we are covered by mountains. Actually, 90% of our territory is mountains and we are considered to be by the Lancet, the Lancet Review, one of the best, to have one of the best healthcare systems. All that is done because we are quite efficient in our public debt. We have only 40% of our GDP public debt and this is after the pandemic. Before the pandemic, it was around 35. However, our taxing framework is not very aggressive. Our indirect tax is only 4.5 and company and personal income tax is maximum 10%, no matter the income. This makes us to appear in the top World Bank paying taxes ranking being the 20th over 191 countries where you are more efficient in paying taxes. How is this competitive tax framework sustained in Europe? Well, because we are one of the top touristic destinations in Europe. We have 8 million visitors a year besides we are a very small population. We receive a lot of tourists and visitors that usually came for shopping and also for adventure and that help us to pay the indirect taxes.Regarding the Economic Diversification Project, we focused on four big areas which are Digital Economy, Health, Education, Culture and Sports, and Eco friendly. We are very committed to sustainability. Actually, we implement the SDC Agenda from the United Nations and we are applying to be the whole country of biosphere reserve. However, today I want to speak about the digital economy and biotech industry. As the Consular General said, we’re both one of the top pharma companies in the world decided to invest and build an immunology laboratory, sorry, in Andorra to research and to innovate in this industry. We are also giving a big commitment to this sector by passing a law in bio-medicine, fully compliant with the European standards to give safety in the law to develop and to innovate in thebiotech industry. This is why we are exploring with the San Diego area, how some companies that are located there, Grifols among them, could come and have a company also in Andorra. We believe that the biotech industry is going to shape the future and we want to be part of that future.Regarding digital economy, we are very committed to make, step forward in the digital world. We believe that the future is also going to be digital and we want to make more efficient and more digital the public administration, but also give the private companies the opportunities to compete in a digital world. And this is why we are focusing in blockchain companies, e-commerce, fintech industry, and also e-sports. We are planning to be one of the best spots to invest in e-sports industry in Europe and we just passed a law on digital economy that makes it easier for foreigners to come and work in Andorra for example, through the entrepreneurial visa or the digital nomad initiative. We want to be a country in which to invest and which to develop your life plan, but not getting constrained by the borders of our smallness, but to compete on the global market. We believe that the companies that should come to Andorra should come to live in Andorra, but to make business around the world. This is why from the Andorra business side, our economic promotion agency, we are at your disposal for any need you should have to plan your soft landing on the Andorran economy. Thank you very much.MR. MEDINA: Thanks, Marc. If you’re interested in learning more about the investment opportunities in Andorra, you could email us at AndorraDirectLine@state.gov. Thank you.
- Andorra HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Andorra				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Andorra																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																								Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																																																																																		f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																								Academic Freedom and Cultural Events																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																											c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons																																																																											f. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																																												Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																																																		Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																																																		Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Anti-Semitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				The Principality of Andorra is a constitutional, parliamentary democracy. Two coprinces, the president of France and the Spanish bishop of Urgell, serve with joint authority as heads of state. In 2019 the country held free and fair multiparty elections for the 28 seats in parliament (the General Council of the Valleys), which selects the head of government. Having won a majority in parliament, the Democrats for Andorra formed a coalition with Liberals of Andorra and Committed Citizens, and elected Xavier Espot Zamora from the Democrats for Andorra head of government.The country’s only security forces are the police, prison officers, traffic police, and forestry officials. The national police maintained internal and external security. The Ministry of Justice and Interior maintained effective civilian control over the security forces. There were no reports that members of the security forces committed abuses.There were no reports of significant human rights abuses.The government had mechanisms in place to identify and punish officials who may commit human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment										The constitution and law prohibit such practices, and there were no reports that government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						There were no significant reports regarding prison or detention center conditions that raised human rights concerns.Physical Conditions: There were no major concerns in prisons and detention centers regarding physical conditions or inmate abuse.Administration: Authorities conducted proper investigations of credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring: The government permitted visits by independent human rights observers.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention and provide for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. The government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						The law requires warrants for arrest. Police may legally detain persons for 48 hours without a hearing, and police generally observed this time limit. A judge has up to 24 hours to charge or release the detainee. Police promptly informed detainees of charges against them. Authorities generally respected these rights. A bail system exists. The law provides detainees the right to legal counsel from the moment of arrest. Persons charged with a crime may choose their own lawyers or accept one designated by the government.Pretrial Detention: The law provides that the duration of provisional detention may not exceed four months. The judge may, by means of a reasoned decision, extend its duration for the same amount of time. The duration of the provisional detention may not exceed half the maximum penalty prescribed by the criminal code for the offenses for which it has been ordered. According to the law, once the case has been sent to court, the duration of the pretrial detention cannot exceed six months (minor offenses) or 12 months (serious offenses). As of September prisoners were in pretrial detention on average for 392 days. The slow pace of the justice system and lack of human resources often resulted in lengthy detentions beyond the period stipulated by law.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution and law provide for the right to a fair public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. Defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence and receive prompt, detailed notification of the charges against them. Trials are fair and public. Defendants have the right to be present at their trial and to consult in a timely manner with an attorney of their choice. If a defendant cannot afford an attorney, the government must appoint a public attorney. Defendants and their attorneys have adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense. The government provides an interpreter, if needed, from the moment of being charged through all appeals. Defendants may confront or question witnesses against them and present witnesses and evidence on their behalf. Defendants cannot be compelled to testify or confess guilt, and they have the right to appeal.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.						Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies						Plaintiffs may bring lawsuits seeking damages for, or cessation of, a human rights violation. Individuals and organizations may appeal adverse domestic decisions to the European Court of Human Rights. The national ombudsman also serves to protect and defend basic rights and public freedom on behalf of citizens.																										f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution and law prohibit such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combined to promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content, and there were no credible reports that the government monitored private online communications without appropriate legal authority.						Academic Freedom and Cultural Events						There were no government restrictions on academic freedom or cultural events. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the government temporarily canceled cultural events or limited number of attendees to protect public health in accordance with the law.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution and law provide for the freedoms of assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government temporarily restricted large gatherings and public assemblies according to the law.																																				c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  https://www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons										Not applicable.																																				f. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law does not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has not established a system for providing protection to refugees, preferring to deal with refugees on an ad hoc basis. There is a lack of domestic legislation on asylum seekers and refugees and, in particular, on measures to protect unaccompanied and refugee children. The law, however, provides for a residency and work permit issued under the country’s temporary and transitional protection regime. The law provides for the temporary protection of asylum seekers and allows their entry, stay, and right to work for a two-year period, renewable for six additional months. After this period the beneficiary can either return to the country of origin, go to a third country, or stay in Andorra if the individual complies with all the immigration requirements. The government and the Community of Sant’Egidio maintained a humanitarian corridor from French and Spanish airports for refugees to enter the country. In June a Syrian family of three arrived in the country. Since the start of the corridor in 2018, eight Syrian refugees received legal, medical, psychological, social, and educational assistance.Access to Basic Services: The law provides for housing, as well as access to social services, health care, and education. The government provided these benefits to the incoming refugees and Sant’Egidio refugees with the support of the Andorran Red Cross, Caritas, and the Association Open-Open Them (Associacio Obrim, Obrim-les).																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																																															The constitution and the law provide citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																																				Elections and Political Participation										Recent Elections: Observers considered parliamentary elections held in 2019 to be free and fair.Participation of Women and Members of Minority Groups: No laws limit the participation of women or minorities in the political process, and they did participate. Citizens were ethnically and linguistically homogeneous but, as of the end of the year, represented only 48.7 percent of the country’s population. Most of the population consisted of immigrants, largely from Spain, Portugal, and France. The law requires 20 years of residency for naturalization. Because only citizens have the right to hold official positions, there were no members of minorities in government.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government												    																																															The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented these laws effectively. Officials infrequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. There were no reports of government corruption during the year.																																					Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																																															A variety of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating and publishing their findings on human rights cases. Government officials were cooperative and responsive to their views.Government Human Rights Bodies: The ombudsman’s main function is to defend and oversee the fulfillment and application of the rights and liberties included in the constitution and to ensure the public sector adheres to constitutional principles. The Ombudsman’s Office also covers all cases of discrimination in the private sector as well as in the protection of the rights of minors and persons with disabilities and protection against racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, and intolerant attitudes. The Ombudsman’s Office is independent from other institutions and provides its functions free of charge to interested persons.The ombudsman enjoyed the government’s cooperation, operated without government interference, had adequate resources, published an annual report to parliament with recommendations, and was considered effective.																																					Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: The law prohibits rape of either gender, including spousal rape, both of which are punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment. It penalizes domestic physical or psychological violence with a prison sentence of up to three years. Authorities enforced the law effectively.The Service for the Assistance of Victims of Gender Violence of the government’s Area of Equality Policies in the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality assisted 62 new survivors from January to June. The service also continued to support some of the 236 persons from the previous year. The service provided comprehensive medical and psychological help as well as legal assistance to survivors of gender violence and domestic violence. Additionally, the government temporarily placed abused women and their children in a shelter, in a hotel, or with voluntary foster families. The national hotline for survivors continued to function as a 24-hour service. Survivors of domestic and gender-based violence could also report abuse by saying the words “purple code” to hospital workers or law enforcement agents to activate all relevant assistance protocols. Survivors could also request help from the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) Andorran Women’s Association (ADA), and Accio Feminista Andorra, with which the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality has a memorandum of understanding that establishes a survivor’s assistance collaboration framework.The Area of Equality Policies, an entity of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality, promoted and developed programs to prevent and fight against gender and domestic violence as well as any other forms of inequality. The area, in coordination with the University of Andorra, trained on gender violence more than 200 professionals including social workers in the national and municipal administrations, lawyers, psychologists, and law enforcement agents. At high schools the area also organized training workshops on gender violence, harassment, and equality.To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women the government launched an awareness campaign with other national institutions, including the ombudsman, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and civil society organizations.Sexual Harassment: The law prohibits sexual harassment under the provisions for other sexual aggressions, punishable by three-months’ to three years’ imprisonment. As of September, no cases were reported to authorities. Survivors were reluctant to file a complaint due to fear of reprisal.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of governmental authorities. The government provided access to sexual and reproductive health services for survivors of sexual violence.Discrimination: The law provides for the same legal status and rights for women as for men. The law also prohibits discrimination privately or professionally with fines up to 24,000 euros ($27,600). The government enforced the law effectively.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The constitution prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, color, or creed. There were no reports of governmental or societal violence or discrimination against members of racial, ethnic, or national minorities during the year.																																				Children										Birth Registration: According to the law, citizenship is acquired at birth in the following circumstances: a child is born in the country to an Andorran parent or born abroad to an Andorran parent born in the country; a child is born in the country if either parent was born in the country and is living there at the time of birth; or a child is born in the country and both parents are stateless or of unknown identity. A child of foreign parents may acquire Andorran nationality by birth in the country if at the time of birth one of the parents completed 10 years in the country. Otherwise, the child may become a citizen before attaining the age of majority or a year after reaching the age of majority if his or her parents have been permanently resident in the country for 10 years or if the person can prove that he or she has lived in the country permanently and continuously for the previous five years. In the meantime, the child has a provisional passport.Children are registered at birth.Child Abuse: The law punishes child abuse with three months’ to six years’ imprisonment. The government’s Specialized Child Protection Team, consisting of three social workers, five psychologists, and three social educators, intervened in situations where children and young persons were at risk or lacked protection, and it collected data on cases of child abuse. As of September, authorities assisted 349 minors at risk, of whom 25 lived in a shelter designated for them.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The minimum legal age of marriage is 16 for girls and boys and as young as 14 with judicial authorization.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The penalty for statutory rape is 15 years’ imprisonment, the same as for rape in general. The law bans slavery and servitude with a maximum of 12 years’ imprisonment and trafficking in persons for the purpose of slavery and servitude with a maximum of six years. As of September, authorities identified 14 possible survivors of child sexual abuse.The law punishes anyone who manages or finances premises used for prostitution; who aids, abets, or fosters prostitution; or who incites through violence, intimidation, or exploitation another person to engage in prostitution.Child pornography is illegal and carries a prison sentence of up to four years. The minimum age of sexual consent is 14 years.International Child Abductions: The country is a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. See the Department of State’s Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/for-providers/legal-reports-and-data/reported-cases.html.																																				Anti-Semitism										Unofficial estimates placed the size of the Jewish community at 100 persons. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts.																																				Trafficking in Persons										There were no confirmed reports during the year that Andorra was a source, destination, or transit country for victims of human trafficking.																																				Persons with Disabilities										Although parliament approved in October 2020 a reform to the education law reaffirming the inclusion of students with disabilities in the public school system at all grade levels, NGOs continued to call for effective implementation of an inclusive educational system.National civil society organizations continued to identity as the primary concerns for persons with disabilities universal accessibility to private and public spaces, and entry into the workforce.The Service for Personal Autonomy within the Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality received requests for psychological, social, and legal assistance from persons with disabilities and their families.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity										The law considers sexual orientation an “aggravating circumstance” for crimes motivated by hate or bias. There were few cases of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The Ministry of Social Affairs, Youth, and Equality received requests for psychological, social, and legal assistance from individuals based on their gender identity or expression. NGOs called for appropriate training on transsexuality, especially for professionals working with children, including medical professionals, teachers, and civil servants. Complaints on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity may be brought before the civil and administrative courts. Civil society saw a need for the government to improve its sensitivity to problems of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex community.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The constitution and law provide for workers to form and join independent trade unions. The law also regulates the relations between trade unions and employer associations as well as mechanisms of collective conflict. The law provides for the rights to bargain collectively and to strike. Alternate dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and arbitration exist. The law neither prohibits antiunion discrimination nor requires the reinstatement of workers fired for union activity.While the government effectively enforced the law, the county’s main union Unio Sindical d’Andorra (USdA) criticized the law, alleging it does not effectively protect workers, especially those with short-term contracts. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increased the vulnerability of some workers who had precarious contract terms. Penalties for violations were commensurate with those for other laws involving the denial of civil liberties.The government and employers respected freedom of association. Collective bargaining did not occur during the year. There were no official reports of or investigations into any antiunion discrimination. Workers continued to be reluctant to admit to union membership due to fear of retaliation by their employers and arbitrary dismissal.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor.The government effectively enforced applicable laws. Penalties were commensurate with penalties for similar crimes.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										The law prohibits children younger than age 14 from working and all of the worst forms of child labor. Children ages 14 or 15 may work up to two months per year during school holidays following strict regulations contained in the law. The law limits work by children who are ages 14 or 15 to no more than six hours per day, limits work by children ages 16 or 17 to eight hours per day, provides for safety restrictions, restricts the types of work children may perform, and outlines other conditions. According to the law, children may not work overtime, work overnight, or work in dangerous occupations, especially in the construction sector. The law provides for protection of children from exploitation in the workplace. Penalties were commensurate with those for other similar crimes. The government effectively enforced the law.																																				d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation										The law prohibits discrimination with respect to employment and occupation, and the government effectively enforced the law. Penalties were commensurate with other laws related to civil rights. Some cases of discrimination against persons with disabilities, persons based on sexual orientation, and women occurred with respect to employment or occupation. Discrimination against persons with disabilities existed in the form of social and cultural barriers, as well as disadvantages in the labor market. The Ministry of Social Affairs favored the hiring of persons with disabilities and promoted the Network of Inclusive Businesses. Member companies received fiscal and social incentives for participating.Women represented 49 percent of the workforce. The law requires equal pay for equal work. No cases were filed during the year, but the ADA and trade union representatives from the USdA reported cases of gender discrimination, especially relating to unequal salaries for the same work and workplace bullying. Victims were reluctant to file a complaint due to fear of reprisal from employers. The government’s Department of Statistics estimated that women earned on average 20 percent less than men for comparable work. In the financial sector, this percentage increased to 28 percent. The government tried to combat pay discrimination in general, and it applied pay equality within the government.																																				e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: The national minimum wage was above the poverty level but not sufficient to provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The national ombudsman reported that the minimum wage was not enough to make housing affordable. The government generally enforced minimum wage laws. The number of individuals living in a vulnerable situation increased because of the medical crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government enacted legislation creating mechanisms to assist companies and workers to deal with the economic impact of COVID-19. In an April study by the Social Observatory of Andorra, 38 percent of the population reported having financial difficulties. Youth and women as well as temporary workers were among the most vulnerable groups.Workers may work up to two overtime hours per day or 15 hours per week, 50 hours per month, and 426 hours per year. Penalties for wage and overtime violations were commensurate with those for similar crimes. The Labor Inspection Office, within the Ministry of Presidency and Economy, has the authority to levy sanctions and fines against companies violating standards and enforced compliance. The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct unannounced inspections.Occupational Safety and Health: The responsibility for identifying unsafe situations remains with occupational safety and health experts, not the worker. The law covers agricultural, domestic, and migrant workers. The Labor Inspection Office has the authority to levy sanctions and fines against companies violating standards and enforced compliance. The office had enough inspectors and resources to enforce compliance. Inspectors had the authority to conduct unannounced inspections. Inspections for occupational safety and health were conducted by the same inspectors under the same authorities as wage and hours. The government effectively enforced occupational safety and health laws, and the penalties for violations were commensurate with those for crimes such as negligence.As of the end of August, the Labor Inspection Office had received 41 complaints. In 2020 the Andorran Social Security Fund had registered 5,870 workplace accidents, which led to 4,563 persons on sick leave from their workplace for an average of 24 days. One death was registered.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																												Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies																																																																																				f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																												Academic Freedom and Cultural Events																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																						c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Status and Treatment of Internally Displaced Persons																																																						f. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																				Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government																																																	Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																																																	Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Anti-Semitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Andorra																								Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
- Andorra’s National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Andorra as they celebrate their patron saint, Our Lady of Meritxell.This year marks 21 years since Andorra began its participation in the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange effort.  More than 80 Andorran and U.S. alumni have participated in the program over the last two decades.  Their academic collaboration and cultural exchanges reflect the many values that our two countries share, including the promotion of democracy and human rights.  Even as the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to deepening our friendship and cooperation with Andorra.My best wishes to the people of Andorra for a joyous national day and a successful year ahead.