Andorra and the euro

[3] Andorra did not have an official currency before adopting the euro, and unlike its two larger neighbours, France and Spain, which surround it, it is not a member of the EU.

Following Andorra's agreement to abide by Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments, the Commission recommended opening negotiations.

[5] Negotiations were expected to be concluded by 2008,[6][7] but were repeatedly stalled due in part to poor relations stemming from Andorra's tax haven status.

Andorra would have been permitted to issue up to 2.4 million euro coins from 1 July 2013 onwards provided that it complied with the agreement's terms.

[10][11] In October 2012, Jordi Cinca, Andorra's Minister of Finance, stated that 1 January 2014 was a more likely date to start issuing euros due to delays in adopting the legislation required by the monetary agreement.

[18] In August, a spokesperson for Cinca confirmed that the design of the 10, 20 and 50 euro cent pieces had been modified to remove the depiction of Christ due to objections from the European Commission on the grounds of religious neutrality.