Transparency International2019-09-252019-09-252011-03-312010http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/177324offers Armenia a chance for economic integration into the European market and further political co-operation with Europe. The ENP-Armenia Action Plan is a non-binding policy document that outlines the strategic objectives of co-operation between Armenia and the EU for a period of five years from 2006 to 2011. The Armenian government has twice developed its own plans to introduce measures that follow the priorities and meet the objectives of the Action Plan. Implementation of the Action Plan is expected to significantly further the alignment of Armenia’s legislation, norms and standards to those of the EU. ENP’s ambitious objectives include the building of a solid base for economic integration and political dialogue with Europe, promotion of economic growth and social cohesion, poverty reduction, conflict resolution, environmental protection and what Transparency International (TI) finds to be the country’s most crucial needs: building democracy, enhancing good governance and confronting corruption. Strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law, the first priority area in the EU-Armenia ENP Action Plan, includes judiciary and civil service reforms and anti-corruption measures. The plan invites Armenia to demonstrate its true political will to meet quite ambitious objectives that are based on commitments to shared values and effective implementation of political, economic and institutional reforms. There are no sanctions for failure to meet ENP commitments, but if Armenia truly seeks to become a democratic state and move closer to European governance standards, Armenian authorities should treat the country’s ENP commitments as one of top priorities for reform processes. More specifically, the anti-corruption agenda of the ENP-Armenia Action Plan consists of two specific objectives: the review of progress made in the implementation of a national anti-corruption strategy and the evaluation of the introduction and formation of a civil service system in accordance with EU norms. The plan also includes eight recommended actions specifically connected to the fight against corruption. These include adequately prosecuting crimes of corruption via the establishment of administrative courts; criminalising corruption in line with international standards; implementing anti-corruption measures within law enforcement agencies, including the development of codes of ethics; ensuring the effective monitoring of officials’ declarations of assets and income; securing progress in the implementation of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) recommendations; and increasing judges’ salaries. This report goes beyond the aforementioned recommendations in an attempt to assess the current reforms in the Armenian judiciary and civil service system, along with the progress made in addressing those GRECO recommendations which have been deemed to be implemented only partially or not at all at the time of the last GRECO evaluation in 2008. Such an approach furthers understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of two important institutions, on which the success of any anti-corruption reform largely depends. At the same time, the success of anti-corruption reforms in Armenia also depends on the real progress that remains to be made in other key institutions and sectors such as the legislature, electoral processes, the executive branch, law enforcement processes, the media, protection of freedom of expression, the business sector, market development, civil society and social justice, etc. Therefore, those Armenian ENP commitments which will contribute to the reform of other institutions and sectors also merit due attention.engWith permission of the license/copyright holderaccountabilitypeace policyjustice, economicPolitical ethicsPeace ethicsGovernance and ethicsPreprint