EU ARMENIA Armenia Facts Location Southwestern Asia Country

EU - ARMENIA

Armenia - Facts • • Location: Southwestern Asia Country name: Republic of Armenia Capital: Yerevan Area: 29, 800 sq km Land boundaries: total: 1, 254 km border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km Climate: highland continental, hot summers, cold winters Population: 2, 968, 586 (July 2008 est. ) Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Lorri, Shirak, Syunik, Tavush, Vayots Dzor

• Constitution: • Adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; • amendments adopted through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005 • Legal system: Based on civil law system • Chief of state: President Serzh SARGSYAN (since 9 April 2008) • Executive branch: – head of government: Prime Minister Tigran SARGSYAN (since 9 April 2008) – cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term)

• Legislative branch Unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov • • 131 seats members elected by popular vote 90 members elected by party list 41 by direct vote to serve four-year terms • Judicial branch Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation, Appeals Court • International organization participation ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Armenia EU • GDP (PPP) 2007: $17. 15 • GDP (PPP) 2007: $14. 38 billion trillion • GDP (PPP) per capita • GDP (PPP) 2007: $4, 900 per capita 2007: $32, 300 • GDP - real growth rate: 13. 8% (2007 est. ) 3% (2007 est. )

Integration into European Structures • 1991 - EU-Armenia cooperation through the TACIS programme • 1992 - official recognition of the independence of the Republic of Armenia by the European Community • 22 April 1996 - Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Armenia, the EC and its fifteen Member States (covering all areas except defence; entered into force on 1 July 1999 ) • 14 June 2004 - EC decision to incorporate the countries of the Southern Caucasus into the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) • 23 March, 2006 - The National Programme for Implementation of the PCA between the EU and Armenia was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Armenia • November 14, 2006 - 2007 -2013 ENP Action Plan (ENP AP) for Armenia adopted in Brussels at the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council

DEVELOPMENTS IN ARMENIA • Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2007 -2013 - covering the EC financial assistance to Armenia under the new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) • ENPI National Indicative Programme (NIP) 2007 -2010 Main priorities – Strengthening of Democratic Structures and Good Governance – Support for Regulatory Reform and Administrative Capacity Building – Support for Poverty Reduction Efforts

EU-Member states as of 2007: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary. Waiting : Turkey, Croatia, FYROM, Bosnia & Herzegovina

EU enlargements Building Europe Denmark Treaty of Rome Belgium France Luxembourg Deutschland Italy Netherlands Estonia Latvia Bulgaria Lithuania Malta Romania 3 rd 1981 Spain Austria Poland Slovakia Slovenia Czech Republic Hungary Cyprus Sweden Greece UK Ireland 7 th 2007 4 th 1986 Portugal 1957 6 th 2004 Finnland From EEC of 6 to EU of 27 2 nd 1973 5 th 1995 Waiting : Balkans + Turkey

New Member States

Facts • Population(2007): • GDP (2006) – EU-15: 380 Mln. – EU-27: 490 Mln. – EU-25: 10. 816 Bln € – US 10. 037 Bln €

Bodies of the European Union European Council (ER) European Parliament (EP) European Commission (EC) European Economic and social committee (EESC) Council of the European Union (Council) Committee of the regions (Co. R) European Court of Justice European Court of auditors

European Council • Heads of governments of 27 member states and the President of the European Commission • Highest decision making body – sets major policies of EU • Meets 4 times per year • As EU-Summit in focus of media interest

Council of the European Union (Council of ministers) • Representing the interests of the 27 member states • Meets in 9 different groups (e. g. agriculture, finance) • Law making body together with Parliament • Has the highest competence • Member states have different numbers of votes related to their population

Shares of votes • Different voting procedures: Council decides unanimously , in procedural questions sometimes with simple majority. Votes States 3 Malta 4 Luxemburg, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia, Latvia 7 Lithuania, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia • Simple majority of Member States 255 of 345 votes 10 Austria, Sweden, Bulgaria 12 Portugal, Hungary, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece • Shares are related to the population of member states, smaller states are preferred in proportion. 13 Netherlands 14 Romania 27 Poland, Spain 29 Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany

European Parliament • Represents all European citizens • Members are elected secretly; free and common elections for five years • 785 members in 8 political groups (number of seats per country are related to the size of population) • Has the right of legislative co-decisions in most policies and is final instance for the EU budget

European Commission • acts in the name of all 27 members by - realizing EU policies and supervising the rule of common law - initiating new legislation - executing decisions of the Council and the Parliament and runs the budget • has 27 Commissioners and about 25. 000 administrative staff • has 40 Directorates General

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