What commitments and actions has Armenia taken, what progress has it made within the framework of joining the Comprehensive and Extended Partnership Agreement (CEPA/CEPA). CEPA was signed in 2017 between RA, the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community and their member states. Astghik Hayrapetyan, Chief Specialist of Department of Cooperation and Reforms of RA Deputy Prime Minister's Office addressed these questions during "Ahead of CEPA Roadmap Update" roundtable organized by EcoLur on September 13, 2024.
He mentioned that the office of RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan attaches importance to the initiatives aimed at the implementation of CEPA. "They provide an opportunity to learn about public perceptions and alternative approaches in order to take them into account in future work," she emphasized.
According to Astghik Hayrapetyan, the observations and opinions presented by the European Union partners, Armenian political society and executive and legislative bodies are continuously studied to more effectively organize the process of interdepartmental coordination aimed at the implementation of CEPA. "After the entry into force of the agreement, extensive work was carried out, as a result of which progress was recorded due to the reforms implemented in the fields of justice, police, human rights, anti-corruption, environment and public services," she said.
According to her, CEPA is an effective tool for ensuring the continuous process of reforms in Armenia, and the implementation of the Agreement is not limited only to the approximation of RA legislation to EU legal acts. "The new sectoral strategies of RA are being harmonized with the measures planned in the CEPA road map. To give new momentum to the process of approximation of the agreement, EU technical assistance tools should be widely used," she added.
Speaking about the update of the CEPA roadmap, Astghik Hayrapetyan mentioned that a special educational program is currently being created to contribute to the approximation processes of the EU legislation. She emphasized the importance of strengthening the capacities of the Agency for Expertise of Legal Acts attached to RA Ministry of Justice.
Astghik Hayrapetyan also expressed that the process of updating the CEPA road map implies discussion of the opinions of all interested parties and harmonization of approaches. "Our office continues to work in the listed directions and by the end of the year, we hope, effective mechanisms will be implemented to make the implementation of the Agreement smoother and more effective. Considering that the implementation of the CEPA road map is a dynamic and continuous process, we do not rule out that in the process new approaches may emerge, new tools may be introduced, including considering the need and opportunities to localize European and international best practices in our country," she noted.
This article was prepared within the framework of "Strengthening Communities in Implementation of Climate Policy in Armenia Through Participation and Awareness Raising" project, which is implemented in cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region.
The content of the article is solely the responsibility of the author, and it cannot in any way be perceived as the viewpoint of the Heinrich Boell Foundation Yerevan Office - South Caucasus Region.
September 23, 2024 at 12:17