On 10 November 2026, the 9th meeting of the EU-Armenia Civil Society Platform took place in Brussels, at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The agenda covered a wide range of issues, including EU-Armenia relations, the implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), rule-of-law reforms, labour rights, and the transition from the informal to the formal economy.
The meeting was opened with welcome remarks by Dumitru Fornea, Co-Chair of the EU-Armenia Civil Society Platform; Syuzanna Soghomonyan, Platform Member and Programme Coordinator at the Armenian Lawyers’ Association; and Tanja Buzek, Vice-President of the External Relations Section of the European Economic and Social Committee. Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, delivered a video address.
One of the key discussions focused on the implementation of rule-of-law reforms under CEPA, the results achieved, and the challenges that remain. Syuzanna Soghomonyan also participated in the discussion as a panellist. The panel also featured the presentation of the monitoring results of the Judicial and Legal Reforms Strategy, conducted by the Platform member organisations: the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, the NGO Protection of Rights without Borders, and the NGO Europe of Law.
Other panellists included Davit Gharibyan, representative of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia; Lilit Daneghyan, representative of the Council of Europe; Hasmik Harutyunyan, Senior Lawyer at Protection of Rights without Borders; Carlos Gómez del Tronco, representative of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy; and Simo Tiainen, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee.
The discussion addressed progress and results in the implementation of rule-of-law reforms in Armenia, particularly anti-corruption, judicial and legal reforms, as well as outstanding challenges, in the context of EU-Armenia cooperation and the commitments undertaken under CEPA.
The meeting also addressed the draft joint declaration of the EU–Armenia Civil Society Platform and its adoption.
The meetings of the EU-Armenia Civil Society Platform provide an important forum for dialogue and cooperation between the civil societies of Armenia and the European Union, as well as for presenting positions and recommendations on the reforms being implemented in Armenia.
