On 4 July, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) gave their consent to the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), paving the way for deeper cooperation between the EU and Armenia in different sectors.
The negotiations on CEPA were launched in 2015 and concluded in 2017. The agreement was then signed by both sides in November 2017. The final agreement marks a deeper political dialogue between the EU and Armenia, broadening the scope of economic cooperation and providing new opportunities for closer ties in relation to energy, transport, infrastructure, environment, trade, education and other sectors.
According to the EU, the new partnership agreement is not the “end point” in terms of EU-Armenia cooperation, but rather a tool to promote domestic reform and its implementation.
MEPs called on Armenia to make significant progress in terms of how elections are run, the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and abusive oligarchic control and media freedom. Effective implementation of these key reforms may unlock further prospects for cooperation, including the opening of a visa liberalisation dialogue, the MEPs added.
“This final vote in the European Parliament sends a strong message of support to the Armenian citizens,” said László Tőkés, the European Parliament’s rapporteur. “The EU is ready to support the reform efforts to which the new government has committed. We encourage them to continue combating corruption and reforming the electoral framework, in line with the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission.”
