The Standing Committee on European Integration ( hy, Եվրոպական ինտեգրման հարցերի մշտական հանձնաժողով, translit=Yevropakan integrman harts’eri mshtakan handznazhoghov) is a specialized committee of the parliament of Armenia, which oversees the management of relations between

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

, and supports the gradual European integration of the country.

History

The Standing Committee on European Integration, established in 2007, is one of eleven standing committees of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

of Armenia. Members serving on the committee are elected members of parliament, representing most political parties with representation in parliament. However, leaders and representatives from

extra-parliamentary An extra-parliamentary opposition is a political movement opposed to a ruling government or political party that chooses not to engage in elections. Many social movements could be categorized as an extra-parliamentary opposition. Europe The Ger ...

political parties often participate in meetings as observers or regular attendees. The committee meets monthly and provides suggestions, updates, and reports to the

Prime Minister of Armenia The prime minister of Armenia is the head of government and most senior minister within the Armenian government, and is required by the constitution to "determine the main directions of policy of the Government, manage the activities of the Gov ...

Nikol Pashinyan Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan ( hy, Նիկոլ Վովայի Փաշինյան, ; born 1 June 1975) is an Armenian politician serving as the prime minister of Armenia since 8 May 2018. A journalist by profession, Pashinyan founded his own newspaper in ...

. Several political parties have been accredited observer status to the committee. The

pro-European Pro-Europeanism, sometimes called European Unionism, is a political position that favours European integration and membership of the European Union (EU).Krisztina Arató, Petr Kaniok (editors). ''Euroscepticism and European Integration''. Politi ...

Republic Party and the

European Party of Armenia The European Party of Armenia () is a pro-European political party in Armenia. It was founded on 6 November 2018 by film-maker Tigran Khzmalyan. History The founding congress of the European Party of Armenia was held on 6 November 2018, in Yer ...

participate on the committee as observers. On 7 February 2022,

Tigran Khzmalyan Tigran Khzmalyan (also known as Xmalian) ( hy, Տիգրան Խզմալյան) is an Armenian independent filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, and political activist. Since 2018, Khzmalyan has served as the Chairman of the European Party of Armenia. ...

, the Chairman of the European Party of Armenia stated that, "We will try to politicize your work, as this committee is key for us. We are convinced that the European integration committee is the axis where security, economic development, and many other issues should be resolved."

Objectives

The primary objectives of the committee is to further develop

Armenia–European Union relations Armenia and the European Union have maintained positive relations over the years. Both parties are connected through the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was signed in 2017. Armenian former Foreign Minister Eduard N ...

, ensure the implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, and continue the gradual harmonization of Armenian laws and regulations to the legal acts of the

EU acquis The Community acquis or ''acquis communautaire'' (; ), sometimes called the EU acquis and often shortened to acquis, is the accumulated legislation, legal acts and court decisions that constitute the body of European Union law that came into b ...

Activities

On 1 April 2019, committee members participated in an

Eastern Partnership The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a joint initiative of the European External Action Service of the European Union (EU) together with the EU, its member states, and six Eastern European partners governing the EU's relationship with the post-Sovi ...

meeting in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. Delegates from Armenia,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...

participated in discussions regarding issues facing Europe and relations of Eastern Partnership members with the EU. Arman Yeghoyan stated, "I emphasized that Armenia is doing the reforms started, most of which coincide with the agenda that the EU had with us, not to get encouragement from the EU, but based on the demands of our citizens. This is our vision, and the EU can be a part of those reforms, which, I believe, will also have a spreading effect in the countries of the Eastern Partnership." On 29 December 2020, committee members met with EU Ambassador to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin. The participants of the meeting discussed a wide range of issues, in particular, the prospects of deepening Armenia–EU cooperation. On 24 October 2021, Arman Yeghoyan held a meeting with members of the Italian senate. The sides discussed further developing inter-parliamentary ties and economic activities between Italy, the EU, and Armenia. In January 2022, members of the

Greek Parliament The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule of the Hellenes, label=none), also known as the Parliament of the He ...

held meetings with the committee and discussed increasing cooperation in various sectors. In February 2022, the committee ratified Armenia's membership in

Horizon Europe Horizon Europe is a 7-year European Union scientific research initiative, successor of the Horizon 2020 programme and the earlier Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development. The European Commission drafted and approved a plan ...

. On 1 November 2022, members of the committee held a meeting with members of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

. A wide range of issues were discussed including expanding Armenia–European Union relations and maintaining stability in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

region. On 23 February 2023, Arman Yeghoyan held a meeting with the Deputy of the European Parliament, François Alfons. Alfons stated, "The European Parliament is interested in the activities of the Standing Committee on European Integration" and emphasized the work done by the latter with various EU bodies. The possibility of joint programs in different formats were discussed. It was also emphasized that the role and importance of the Standing Committee on European Integration is increasing daily. On 17 March 2023, Armenian deputy foreign minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan stated that relations between Armenia and EU member states have been increasing over the past year and are more dynamic. The minister applauded the efforts of the European Union Mission in Armenia and stated that the EU has significantly contributed to the security and stabilization of the

South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...

, during a meeting of the Standing Committee. On 29 March 2023, Arman Yeghoyan and the president of the Armenian national assembly

Alen Simonyan Alen Roberti Simonyan ( hy, Ալեն Ռոբերտի Սիմոնյան; born 5 January 1980) is an Armenian politician currently serving as the president of the National Assembly of Armenia since 2 August 2021. He served as the acting presid ...

held a meeting with

Anton Hofreiter Anton "Toni" Hofreiter (born 2 February 1970) is a German politician who has been serving as a member of the Bundestag since the 2005 elections. Political career As a member of Alliance 90/The Greens, Hofreiter has been a member of the Bundes ...

, Chairman of the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Common ...

's EU affairs committee in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. Simonyan stated, "adherence to European values, development of partnership with European Union countries was and continues to be one of the important directions of foreign policy for Armenia." The German partners, in return, encouraged Armenia to develop policies which promote further European integration.

Leadership

The committee Chairman is Arman Yeghoyan. Mary Galstyan acts as the Deputy Chair. Both are members of the ruling Civil Contract party. There are a total of 10 members of parliament who sit on the committee.

References

External links