Starting March 1, Armenia Enters a New Phase: Why the Roadmap Has Been Inadequately Implemented

The newspaper has learned that the European Union has already notified Armenia that the ratification process of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU has been completed. The agreement will fully enter into force on March 1 of this year.

So, what has been done under the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement during these years? First, it should be noted that the agreement was signed on November 24, 2017, during the Eastern Partnership Summit held in Brussels, and the EU is Armenia's second-largest trading partner. Companies operating with capital from EU member states are among the largest taxpayers and employers in Armenia.

We also attempted to discuss the scale of the work done with Karen Simonian, a member of the NA 'Bright Armenia' faction and a member of the inter-agency commission. In an interview with the newspaper, the deputy stated: "The agreement signed in 2017 was one of Armenia's significant achievements at that time. A special session is planned soon, where the Armenia-EU relations will be discussed, particularly in the area of financing and the programs funded by the European Union."

"To say that we are fully benefiting from the agreement would be incorrect. We have a roadmap that has been in force for two years and needs to be implemented, yet for various reasons, it has been postponed. One glaring example is the establishment of the patrol service and the reforms in the police, which were ongoing but should have been completed last year," noted the deputy.

The "Hraparak" newspaper has examined the roadmap, trying to identify and understand which project deadlines have expired and which deadlines are approaching. For instance, according to the roadmap, by the 4th quarter of this year, the draft amendments to the Electoral Code should be presented and accepted by the RA Ministry of Justice. However, changes to the procedure for granting driver's licenses were supposed to be made by June 2019, yet these changes came into effect only in September 2020, almost a year late.

The roadmap envisaged the creation of an Independent Anti-Corruption Body in the 4th quarter of 2020. However, it is noteworthy that it will only be established this year, resulting in three investigative bodies: the Investigative Committee, the Special Investigative Service, and the Anti-Corruption Committee.

The article is written by the "Hraparak" newspaper.