New Catalan Law in Andorra
Andorra is about to implement new language legislation aimed at promoting the use of Catalan in commercial establishments. This initiative, promoted by the Government party, Democrats, together with two of the three opposition groups, Concordia and the Social Democratic Party, aims to strengthen the presence of the Principality’s own language in the commercial sphere.
Requirements and Penalties
The new law raises stricter requirements for businesses. Now, in addition to the presence of a Catalan-speaking worker, all employees must be able to attend to customers in Catalan. In addition, to renew the residence permit, it will be required to prove a minimum level of knowledge of the Catalan language.
The penalties for non-compliance with this regulation are considerable. Fines ranging between 6,001 and 60,000 euros are foreseen for the most serious offences. This includes situations such as the systematic refusal to attend in Catalan for a period of three years, which could result in financial sanctions.
Sanctioning Regime
According to the leader of Concordia, Cerni Escalé, the new law stipulates a more rigorous sanctioning regime. Recidivism in breach of the law for three years can involve fines of up to 12,000 euros. For the most serious cases, such as the repeated refusal to comply with the language requirements, the penalties can reach up to 60,000 euros.
This measure, despite receiving the support of several political sectors, has generated some controversy. The Andorra Endavant party has shown its disagreement, considering the sanctioning regime established by the new law to be excessive.
