TNAG-1254-FCO40-1587-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 188

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Labour dated 14 September, 1933:

"Les Vallées d'Andorran n'ont pas en droit

Elles international une personnalité indépendante. ne peuvent, en conséquence, conclure des traités avec aucun Etat et encore moins avec la France si l'on peut dire, qui exerce sur elles la co-suzerainté et qui ne saurait, par conséquent, négocier avec elles d'égal à égal".

In early 1983 an application from Andorra to join the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) caused HMG some difficulty. Spain endorsed the application; France (reluctantly) acquiesced in it, but our view was that Andorra did not have the legal capacity to enter into such obligations.

Andorra and the EEC

7. Andorra is not a member of the EC as it was felt that its economic system could not be reconciled to that of the Community. France allows Andorrans to benefit from the provisions of the Treaty of Rome in the same way as any other French nationals when in other EC countries.

8. Article 227, paragraph 4 of the Treaty of Rome states that "the provisions of this Treaty shall apply to the European territories for whose external relations a Member State is responsible". However a note prepared by the Service Juridique of the European Commission in March 1962 stated that Andorra, as a co-principality, is excluded from the Treaty:

"Cette co-suzerainté franco-espagnole exclut toute application des Traites instituant les communautés européennes. De l'avis des autorités francaises compétentes, les dispositions du Traité CEE ne sont pas applicables à Andorre."

CONFIDENTIAL

Research Department August 1983