Shortcomings and problems identified.

• A control on non-food labeling, using and maintaining requirements has not been properly provided.
• The Ministry has not taken sufficient measures to protect consumers’ rights in the field of non-food quality and safety control requirements.
• Despite the measures taken by the Ministry, public awareness of consumer rights issue is still essential.
• In spite of fact that state control over the requirements of technical regulations and metrological rules and norms  was implemented by  Ministry of Economy state Inspectorate of the market and consumer rights  in  221 business entities  in 2011, however, it is was evaluated by the specialists as inadequate, so there is a need for activating the control in this direction.
• While licensing of the commercial facility, the agency for licenses and permits of the Ministry has not provided a unified approach to the examination and evaluation of circumstances leading to possible infringement of the rights and freedoms of the others.
• Enough steps have not been taken to increase the offer for hotel services and other recreation services in the regions, their quality and competitiveness.

Positive developments

• Types of activities subject to licensing were reduced from 169 to 96 and electronic possibility for acquisition of licenses has been made available.

• During the inspections violations of the requirements on no food labeling was found in 32 business entities, which resulted in the orders for suspension of the batches of products not complying with their orders, and the people responsible for violations were charged with of the administrative penalties in the amount of 7160000.
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• The scope of liability of joint stock companies’ directors has expanded, thereby enhancing the protection of investors.
• According to the statistics the tourism has expanded.

Karen Andreasyan,

Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia 

The list of the identified positive developments, gaps and shortcomings is not exhaustive.

The introduced Chapter (7) of the HRD Annual Report 2011 is available in full at http://pashtpan.am/pages/downloadPdf/file_id/563

The HRD Annual Report 2011 was developed based on the complaints received by the Staff of the Human Rights Defender, legislation analysis, trustworthy and non-disclaimed publications in press, reports of the international and local organizations as well as information received during the interviews with field specialists and human rights defenders.