Proposal for a Council Decision on the signature, on behalf of the Union, of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Armenia in Union programmes

As part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, the gradual opening-up of certain Union programmes and agencies to the participation of European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries represents one of many measures to promote reform, modernisation and transition in the European Union’s neighbourhood. The Commission outlined this policy aspect more extensively in its Communication of December 2006 'on the general approach to enable European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries to participate in Community agencies and Community programmes'.

Based upon the Communication and its conclusions, the Council, on 18 June 2007, issued directives to the Commission to negotiate Framework Agreements with Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia and Ukraine, on the general principles for their participation in Community programmes. To date, Protocols were signed with Israel, Morocco, Moldova and Ukraine. A Protocol has also been negotiated, but not yet signed, with Jordan.

In April 2012, Armenia expressed its interest to participate in the broad range of programmes open to partner countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The Commission herewith submits a proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of the Protocol negotiated with Armenia. This Protocol contains a Framework Agreement on the general principles for the participation of Armenia in Union programmes. It contains standard stipulations that are intended to be applied to all European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries with which such protocols are to be concluded. In parallel, the Commission submits a proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)517: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:517:FIN

European Commission: COM(2012)518: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Armenia in Union programmes http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0518:FIN:EN:PDF

---