According to the request of the Ministry of Finance AEPLAC is currently preparing the Report on Improvement of State Regulation of the Armenian Jewellery Market. The Report will provide detailed information on the Armenian and the EU Member States’ existing legal and institutional systems regulating the jewellery market, the comparative analysis of these systems, and recommendations aimed at the improvement of the Armenian State regulatory mechanisms. The requirements of the Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals as well as opportunities and gains of Armenia’s accession to the Convention will also be introduced.
     A letter of appreciation was submitted by the RA Ministry of Finance stating that the report provides for useful information which will be applied during legislative reforms. The Ministry of Finance also requested for further assistance in elaboration of an Action Plan for the approximation of Armenian legislation to those of the EU Member States and for the Armenia’s accession to the Hallmarking Convention.

     The report is based on the EU Guide to Main Administrative Structures Required Implementing the Acquis. This report examines the administrative capacities of the Armenian administrative structures responsible for the implementation, control and enforcement of the legislation in Food Safety, Sanitary and Phytosanitary areas. Institutional and capacity assessment in relation to food safety is combined into the phytosanitary and veterinary sections, taking into account that same institutional and administrative structures in Armenia are responsible for the implementation, control and enforcement of the relevant legislation. The report contains parallel analysis of experiences of EU countries: in terms of policy measures and instruments used in the relevant areas. It includes recommendations aimed at improvement of institutional capacities in Armenia. The report was presented to the beneficiaries during a close workshop, and was revised based on comments and recommendations received from them.

     This report was prepared within the framework of AEPLAC activity on assessment of administrative capacities of state bodies (as a part of National Programme for the PCA implementation) and based on the Guide developed by the European Commission.
     The current report represents the EU institutional requirements in the field of Energy, the existing Armenian institutional structures operating in this field, the gaps and incompliances between Armenian and the EU administrative systems, as well as the activities that should be undertaken to eliminate these gaps and to improve the public administration in this field. In particular, the administrative capacities assessment of the RA Ministry of Energy, Energy State Inspectorate, Public Services Regulatory Commission, Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority and other bodies is introduced.

     The report represents the assessment of capacities of the Armenian regulatory authorities operating in the Free Movement of Workers field and comparative analysis of the mentioned capacities with the EU administrative-structural requirements.
     The assessment of administrative capacities of relevant institutions involved in regulation of the Free Movement of Workers field (in particular Migration Agency of the Ministry of Territorial Administration, The Labour and Employment Department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the RA Employment Agency and etc.) based on the “Guide to the main administrative structures required for implementing the Acquis” produced as a working tool by experts working for the European Commission.

     The report represents the assessment of capacities of the Armenian regulatory authorities operating in the road and rail transport field and comparative analysis of the mentioned capacities with the EU administrative-structural requirements.
     The assessment of administrative capacities of relevant institutions involved in regulation of the road and rail transport field (in particular Ministry of Transport and Communications, Public Services Regulatory Commission, Transport Inspection etc.) was based on the “Guide to the main administrative structures required for implementing the Acquis” produced as a working tool by experts of the European Commission.

     Assessment of administrative capacities of the State Tax Service under the RA Government (RA STS) was carried out. The activities were performed in accordance with the guidelines (hereinafter EU benchmarks) serving as a tool for the EU membership, using 344 key indicators, 77 strategic objectives and multilateral assessment mechanism of 14 administrative systems. During four months all administrative legal materials, of the tax authority, application practice in their real life were examined, a number of interviews and discussions, round tables with different concerned groups were held.
     As a result detailed analysis-report of about 450 pages was prepared. It elaborates on weaknesses and strengths of administrative work of the tax service in the context of the European tax standards, which is a legal base for further design of reforms.

     The Report was prepared under the framework of AEPLAC activity on assessment of administrative capacities of state bodies (as a part of National Program for the PCA implementation) and based on the Guide developed by the European Commission.
     This Report summarises the results of the study of the Armenian institutional and administrative capacities for the implementation control and enforcement of the legislative requirement of the EU acquis in the sector of air transport. Particularly the Report refers to the General principles, as well as to the fields of Air Safety, Air Traffic Management, Economic Regulation, Internal Market, Aviation Security, Consumer Protection and Data Protection, established by the EU acquis.

     This report was prepared within the framework of AEPLAC activity on assessment of administrative capacities of state bodies (as a part of National Programme for the PCA implementation) and based on the Guide developed by the European Commission.
     The current report represents the EU institutional requirements in the field of Enterprise and Industrial Policy, the existing Armenian institutional structures operating in this field, the gaps and incompliances between Armenian and the EU administrative systems, as well as the activities that should be undertaken to eliminate these gaps and to improve the public administration in this field. In particular, the administrative capacities assessment of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, Business Support Council, Armenian Development Agency, RA Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other bodies is introduced.

     On 23 March 2006, the Government of Armenia adopted the National Programme (2006-2009) for Implementation of the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement signed between the Republic of Armenia and the European Communities and its Member states aimed at the integration into the European Union which became the most important development strategy of Armenia’s PCA implementation and the EU integration.
     Successful implementation of the NP is mostly dependant not only on existence of regulating legal framework, but also on existence of the relevant administrative structures and systematic evaluation of administrative capacities of these structures, that will enable objective evaluation of the NP implementation progress, as well as reveal the main problems likely to occur during this process.

     The paper was prepared upon the request of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and in collaboration with the EU Technical Assistance Team of the Support to Regional Development Activities in Vayots Dzor.
     The paper starts with a detailed analysis on regional disparities in Armenia, then compares the disparities levels with the relevant indicators of other countries. It also discusses Armenia’s current policies and institutional standing of regional development, and raises some key issues in this respect. Then, the paper presents some approaches for future regional development policy and regional clustering in Armenia based on the EU NUTS criteria. The paper also includes discussion on international experience trends in regional development, particularly in the EU and OECD countries.