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Andorra and San Marino sign a deal to move closer to the EU
On October 19, the EU signed an association agreement with two small countries outside it. The deal still needs approval.
On October 19, 2026, the European Commission signed an association agreement with Andorra and San Marino, two small European countries that are not members of the European Union. The Commission said that the deal brings both countries closer to the EU and creates a clear framework for deeper economic links. On the same day, the EU also signed updated versions of the separate agreements that cover how the two countries use the euro.
Both countries have only EU members as neighbors. Andorra lies in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France and covers about 468 square kilometers. San Marino is even smaller, at about 61 square kilometers. It sits on a mountaintop and is completely surrounded by Italy.
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The official approval of an agreement or treaty by a country, which is needed before the agreement can fully take effect.
The agreement also still needs ratification, or formal approval, in Andorra and San Marino.