Armenia and the EU today discussed new opportunities for Armenian and European businesses deriving from the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Organised by the country’s Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, together with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Trade, the event gathered EU and Armenian officials and representatives of the business community.
Several topics of interest for the business community were discussed, including liberalisation of bilateral trade in services, which is a major achievement of the agreement. This will give EU and Armenia traders, investors and services suppliers greater certainty and enhance further the trading environment. It will also create the conditions for increased cross-border investments.
There was also a discussion on mutual additional market access in the Public procurement field. Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) plus rules will apply regarding the publication of tenders through a single internet portal and regarding the updating of review procedures.
Participants also discussed how Armenian operators and consumers will benefit from an ambitious system of protection of Geographical Indications and how Armenian companies, artists and inventors creating and selling innovative, artistic, distinct and high-quality products will be able to rely on a strong intellectual property rights protection system in their own country, just like they can in the EU.
The event included opening speeches by EU Ambassador Piotr Świtalski, Petros Sourmelis, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Trade, and Mane Adamian, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments.
The event came a day after the first meeting of the European Union-Armenia Partnership Committee in Trade configuration under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which took place in Yerevan on 25 September, which discussed topics included in the Trade and trade related matters title of CEPA, including Trade in goods and services, Customs, Intellectual property rights, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, Competition and Public procurement.
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Republic of Armenia and the European Communities and their Member States was signed on 24 November 2017 and entered into provisional application on 1 June 2018.