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ENP Progress Report: Armenia And EU Remain Committed To Further Coop

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  • ENP Progress Report: Armenia And EU Remain Committed To Further Coop

    ENP PROGRESS REPORT: ARMENIA AND EU REMAIN COMMITTED TO FURTHER COOPERATION

    19:36 27.03.2014

    "Political dialogue with the Armenian Government was intensive in
    2013. The EU and Armenia completed negotiations on an Association
    Agreement (AA), including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area
    (DCFTA), in July 2013, but could not proceed with its initialing,
    following Armenia's decision to apply to join the Customs Union
    with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Armenia and the EU remained
    nevertheless committed to further cooperation as they jointly stated
    in the margins of the Vilnius Summit," the EU said in the ENP Progress
    Report on Armenia.

    Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements were both ratified
    in 2013 and entered into force on 1 January 2014. While Armenia
    continued to address issues related to human rights and fundamental
    freedoms, further work remains necessary, especially as regards
    the implementation and enforcement of legislation. The February
    2013 presidential elections were generally well-administrated
    notwithstanding concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

    Despite ongoing reforms, public mistrust of the judicial system
    remained high and there was a lack of convincing results in the fight
    against corruption, including in police and judiciary. Allegations
    of use of torture and ill-treatment in police custody were reported.

    Armenia addressed some of the key recommendations contained in last
    year's ENP progress report. It notably adopted a law on equal rights
    and opportunities for men and women which, however, lacks a mechanism
    for complaints. There were limited developments regarding reforms
    in the public administration and in the judiciary. Nevertheless,
    preparatory works were undertaken to proceed with reforms about the
    electoral legislation, the fight against corruption and the Human
    Rights protection.

    On the basis of this year's report and with a view to sustained
    implementation of the ENP Action Plan in 2014, Armenia is invited to:

    cooperate with and protect civil society; investigate the cases of
    attacks and intimidation of human rights defenders and ensure that
    the perpetrators are brought to justice; implement the OSCE/ODIHR
    recommendations concerning elections, in particular ensure a level
    playing field for all candidates and avoid the use of administrative
    resources for electoral purposes. Moreover, ensure pluralism in
    the broadcasting media; fully investigate the deaths that occurred
    during clashes following the March 2008 presidential elections and
    the allegations of ill-treatment in police custody; finalise the
    draft Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religion; ensure respect
    for the principle of non-discrimination and adopt comprehensive
    anti-discrimination legislation; continue the reform of public
    administration; especially intensify the prevention of and the fight
    against corruption; intensify the reform of the judiciary and the law
    enforcement; strengthen the implementation of governance reforms; work
    towards the earliest possible closure of the Medzamor nuclear power
    plant as well as speed up the implementation of the roadmap on energy
    efficiency and the target of 30 % of generated energy from renewable
    sources; step up efforts towards agreement on the Madrid Principles,
    as a basis for peace, in accordance with the commitments undertaken
    by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan within the Minsk Group;
    refrain from actions and statements that could heighten tension and
    undermine the peace process; promote an environment conducive to
    progress in the conflict settlement, encourage and support related
    peace-building activities; ensure unimpeded access for representatives
    of the EU to Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions in support of
    conflict transformation activities in full complementarity with the
    efforts of the Minsk Group.

    Reforms initiated, carried out or delayed during 2013 in the different
    areas of cooperation between the EU and Armenia are described in the
    annual country report. Some of the issues reported deserve special
    attention.

    Despite ongoing progress in the justice sector, delivered with
    support from the EU, the influence of the executive over judicial
    nominations remains a concern. More reforms are necessary in terms
    of access to justice

    Freedoms of association and assembly were generally respected.

    However, in 2013 there was an increase in reports of violence against
    civil activists and human rights defenders, as well as of undue
    pressure on peaceful demonstrators. Media independence remained
    insufficient and there were no developments regarding pluralism in
    the broadcasting media. Armenia has not developed an anti-corruption
    strategy, and although the government has mentioned plans for sectorial
    measures, there were no concrete developments.

    The concluding round of negotiations on a DCFTA took place in July.

    However, in September the President of Armenia officially announced
    that Armenia would join the Russian-led Customs Union which is
    incompatible with the provisions of the DCFTA. Implementation
    of the EU-Armenia Mobility Partnership continued. The EU-Armenia
    Readmission Agreement was signed in April and was ratified by the
    Armenian National Assembly in November, together with the already
    signed Visa Facilitation Agreement. Both agreements entered into
    force on 1 January 2014.

    The stalemate in the Minsk Process aiming at settling the
    Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continued for most of 2013. However,
    the Presidents of the two countries reconvened in November 2013 for
    the first time since January 2012 in a summit in Vienna, mediated
    by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, at which they agreed to advance
    negotiations towards a peaceful settlement and to meet again in the
    months ahead. An upsurge of violence along the line of contact was
    nevertheless witnessed early 2014. The EU continued to give its full
    support to the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in their work to facilitate
    a lasting settlement.

    http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/03/27/enp-progress-report-armenia-and-eu-remain-committed-to-further-cooperation/

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