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On 2 April 2017, Armenia held parliamentary elections under the new Constitution which shifted the Armenian semi-presidential system of governance to a parliamentary one. Elections were observed also by a Delegation from the European Parliament. These parliamentary elections under the new Electoral Code were well-administered and fundamental freedoms were generally respected. However, credible reports identified widespread vote buying, intimidation of civil servants and private company employees as well as abuse of administrative resources prior to Election Day, which contributed to an overall lack of public confidence and trust in the elections. The EU has contributed financially to electoral assistance meant to increase the safeguards against possible electoral fraud and has encouraged the Armenian law enforcement bodies to conduct a credible and swift investigation into all alleged criminal offenses related to elections and to prosecute in accordance with the law.
The EU and Armenia negotiated the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as a new legal basis for their cooperation. It was initialled in March 2017 in Armenia. The CEPA represents a modern, comprehensive and ambitious agreement, covering political, economic and sectorial cooperation in fields such as transport, energy, communication, financial services, regional development, health and education. It will broaden the scope of EU-Armenia relations and will have as a basis shared common values and a strong commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
From 20 to 23 June 2017, a GSP+ monitoring mission took place. It made ten concrete suggestions for priority actions, with a particular focus on the protection of human rights (including investigation of excessive use of police force), the judiciary, legislation against domestic violence and against discrimination, labour rights and labour inspection, fight against corruption and protection of endangered species. The GSP+ monitoring mission presented these suggestions to the relevant Government ministries and agencies during a meeting on 23 June 2017. The Armenian authorities submitted information about the implementation of the priority actions in October 2017.
The entry into force of the new Constitution in early 2018, with a number of human rights-related provisions, will be an important milestone with regard to the Government's intention to ensure the implementation and enforcement of legislation as strategic programming
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