Andorra · 20 years of Andorra’s membership in the Council of Europe

Issue date29 Feb 2016

Total mintage105,000

EU maximum100,000

Editions2

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

InscriptionANDORRA / AL CONSELL D’EUROPA / 2014

DesignerOrietta Rossi

mintReal Casa de la Moneda, Madrid

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin marks 20 years of Andorra’s membership in the Council of Europe. The design features the coat of arms of Andorra and the number “20”, whose zero is based on the flag of the Council of Europe. The design is complemented by the inscriptions “ANDORRA” and “AL CONSELL D’EUROPA”, the year “2014”, and a diagonally ascending line.

The design

The inner part of the coin shows the coat of arms of Andorra on the left of the centre, followed by the number “20”, whose zero is based on the design of the flag of the Council of Europe. The country name “ANDORRA” appears horizontally at the very top, with “AL CONSELL D’EUROPA” on the line below. The year “2014” appears at the bottom left, while a line runs diagonally upward on the right.

The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

The Council of Europe (Europarat) is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1949 and based in Straßburg. It is institutionally distinct from the European Union (Europäische Union). Its activities focus on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The European Convention on Human Rights (Europäische Menschenrechtskonvention) is the principal basis of its human rights protection; compliance with it is monitored by the European Court of Human Rights (Europäischer Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte). Individuals may apply to it after exhausting domestic legal remedies.

Andorra joined the Council of Europe (Europarat) on 10 November 1994. Accession was connected with the political and legal reorganisation of the small state. Until the late 20th century, its governmental system was based to a considerable extent on historically evolved institutions and customary law. Its heads of state are still two co-princes: the French president and the Bishop of Urgell. However, their functions were clearly integrated into a parliamentary constitutional order by the constitution adopted in 1993.

Among other things, the constitution established the separation of powers, fundamental rights, and the position of Parliament and the government. It thus created the conditions for Andorra’s closer integration into international organisations. In 1993, the country became a member of the United Nations (Vereinte Nationen); admission to the Council of Europe (Europarat) followed a year later. In doing so, Andorra committed itself to observing the common European standards for human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law.

The anniversary was suitable as a coin subject because membership marked a stage in Andorra’s international opening. For a small European state that does not belong to the European Union (Europäische Union), the Council of Europe (Europarat) is also an important forum for equal cooperation with other European states. The coin therefore does not refer to the introduction of the euro or accession to the EU, but to Andorra’s membership of an independent pan-European organisation.