A new law to promote Catalan
Andorra is moving decisively towards greater promotion of the Catalan language in its commercial establishments. With the support of the Government party, Democrats, and other parliamentary groups such as Concordia and the Social Democratic Party, new legislation is being pushed that establishes language requirements for traders and workers.
The new law, which is expected to enter into force soon, requires that all employees of commercial establishments be able to communicate with customers in Catalan. In addition, a certificate attesting to a minimum level of competence in Catalan will be required to renew residence permits.
Sanctioning regime
One of the main features of this new legislation is the penalty regime established for businesses that do not comply with the language requirements. Fines for non-compliance can range from 6,001 to 60,000 euros, depending on the severity of the offence.
Cases of systematic refusal to serve customers in Catalan for a period of three years may result in financial penalties. This also includes recidivism, with progressively higher fines for establishments that repeatedly break the law.
The new regulations establish that all shop assistants must be competent in Catalan to serve customers, extending the previous requirement that only required the presence of at least one Catalan-speaking worker in the establishment.
Progressive penalties
In the case of repeated violations of the law, the fines may increase. Sanctions ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 euros are foreseen for cases of recidivism during three years, and even fines of 60,000 euros for those establishments that infringe the regulations repeatedly.
