On April 30 Transparency International released its report entitled "National Integrity System Assessment Armenia 2014".
The report examines anti-corruption mechanisms and safeguards across 13 institutions in Armenia - parliament, president, executive power, judicial system, civil service, law-enforcement agencies, Central Electoral Commission, Ombudsman, Chamber of Control, parties, media, civil society and business.
The report has identified the shortcomings of the independence of the Armenian judicial system, particularly, stressing that it is corrupt and not free from the influence of the authorities. It has also been mentioned that civil society and media remain very weak as watchdogs against corruption. The prosecution for the corruption-related crimes is alarmingly low. Despite having sufficiently well-formulated anti- corruption legislation, there are serious shortcomings in its effective implementation. The report has been released with financial support from the EU.
Head of the EU delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea attended the presentation and said that in November 2013 during the Eastern Partnership Summit held in Vilnius Armenia and the EU had delivered a joint statement. The joint statement particularly read that the sides would continue cooperating in various areas such as providing supremacy of the statute law, reforming judicial system, good governance, fighting corruption, development of democracy institutes, communications and a number of other spheres.
According to Hristea, this reports speaks for the continuation of cooperation and implementation of Vilnius accommodations. He believes that no government is corruption-safe and only timely and permanent fighting can root it out. "It is notorious that corruption has a negative impact on a country's economic development for those who hold the power enrich their own capitals thus slowing down the development of the economy", he said. According to him, corruption comprises both economic and political elements.
Hristea believes that the synergism of political and economic indifference towards the corruption issue cause decadency of society and chaos. According to him, the EU will keep aiding Armenia in rooting out corruption and improving the judicial system.