Government’s Plan of Measures to Implement European Commission’s Nine Steps

On December 25, the Government of Georgia published a document entitled “The measures for the implementation of steps defined for Georgia in the European Commission’s Communication on the 2023 Enlargement Policy”. The plan was endorsed by the Government Commission for European Integration on November 27, 2023.

The document reflects the nine conditions defined by the European Commission while also describing the steps to be taken, the time-frames, and the responsible government body.

1. Countering the disinformation targeting the EU and its values; countering external information manipulation and interference.

Measures to be taken: Elaboration of the action plan of the government’s communication campaign to promote the EU and its values; implementation of the action plan in 2024.

2. Improvement of alignment with EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy

Measures to be taken: Active cooperation with EU structures to ensure that Georgian territory is not used for avoiding the EU sanctions, including the Georgian Ministry of Finance accountability before relevant bodies of the European Commission, U.S. UK on compliance with sanctioned and sensitive customs code operations

3. Decreasing polarization, including through engaging parliamentary opposition in the legislative process, especially on EU-related legislation.

Measures to be taken: Inclusion of all parliamentary parties into the working process regarding the key reforms and reforms related to EU integration; continuation of cooperation with civil society (in the framework of Memorandum of Understanding signed with Georgian National Platform).

4. Ensuring a free, legitimate, and competitive election process, especially in 2024, and implementing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. Completion of reforms long before the election day, including the adequate representation of the voters.

Measures to be taken: Inviting OSCE/ODIHR long-term observation mission for the 2024 elections; creation of effective cooperation formats between relevant government bodies and observer organizations; amendments to the election legislation regarding the political party financing.

5. Further improvement in the implementation of parliamentary oversight, especially in the security sector. Ensuring institutional independence and neutrality of key institutions, especially the Central Elections Commission, National Bank, and Communications Commission.

Measures to be taken: Facilitation of regular dialogue among the parliamentary political parties and civil society organizations with a view to improving the oversight practice, ensuring the full composition of the Group of Trust.

6. Completion of a holistic and effective judicial reform, including the comprehensive reform of the High Council of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office, through the implementation of Venice Commission recommendations and a transparent and inclusive process.

Measures to be taken: Creation of a working format, with the participation of all parliamentary political parties and non-governmental organizations, on the judiciary and Public Prosecutor Office’s reforms; adoption of relevant legislative amendments.

7. Further ensuring the effectiveness, institutional independence, and neutrality of the anti-corruption bureau, Special Investigative Commission, and Personal Data Protection Service. Implementation of the recommendations by the Venice Commission through the inclusive process; creation of a strong track record of fighting corruption and investigating organized crime.

Measures to be taken: Initiation of the legislative amendments in accordance with the Venice Commission’s recommendation on December 15; conducting meetings with all parliamentary parties and NGOs to discuss annual reports of the mentioned agencies

8. Improvement of the existing action plan of de-oligarchization through the multi-sector systemic approach, in accordance with the Venice Commission recommendations and through the transparent and inclusive process, in which opposition parties and civil society will be engaged.

Measures to be taken: Adoption of the de-oligarchization plan following the consultations with parliamentary political parties and non-governmental organizations; conducting meetings with the parliamentary opposition parties and non-governmental organizations with a view to monitoring the implementation of the de-oligarchization plan.

9. Improvement of human rights protection, including through the implementation of the ambitious strategy and through ensuring the freedom of assembly and expression. Initiation of neutral, effective, and timely investigations into the cases of incidents related to breach of security and violence against vulnerable groups, media, and civil society activists, and prosecution of individuals and organizations responsible for violence. Conducting consultations and cooperation with civil society which will allow them to meaningfully engage in legislative and policy-making processes; ensuring their unhindered work.

Measures to be taken: Organizing joint meeting of civil society, international organizations, and state agencies to discuss the 2024-2026 Human Rights Strategy Draft National Action Plan; adoption of the National Action Plan by the Parliament following the consultations with parliamentary political parties and civil society organizations; meetings with civil society organizations on the ongoing investigations; provision of comprehensive information to the EU regarding the investigations; regular meetings with NGOs in order to facilitate their engagement in policy making and legislative process.

Also Read:

• 15/12/2023 – European Council President: Enlargement Decision a Signal of Hope and Confidence
• 13/11/2023 – Georgia’s Progress toward EU Candidate Status: the European Commission’s Assessment
• 08/11/2023 – 2023 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy: Case of Georgia