Georgia in EU General Affairs Council Conclusions on Enlargement

In the Conclusions on Enlargement issued on December 17 the EU General Affairs Council, while reaffirming its “full and unequivocal commitment” to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova, recalled that “the course of action taken by the Georgian government jeopardizes Georgia’s European path, de-facto leading to a halt of the accession process.” The Council reiterated “the EU’s steadfast solidarity with the Georgian people” and readiness to continue supporting Georgians on their European path, and regretted the Georgian government’s recent statement on suspending the EU accession process until 2028.

The conclusions stressed that “respecting and committing to promote the values on which the EU is founded, and meeting the obligations required for EU membership, continue to be essential for all partners who aspire to join”, stressing the importance of the “sustained” and “irreversible” reforms on the fundamentals, such as rule of law and fundamental rights, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration, etc.

While reaffirming the EU’s readiness to support the Georgian people on their European path, the Council reiterates the EU’s “serious concern” regarding the GD government’s actions, including the adoption of the Foreign Agents’ and laws, which represent “backsliding on the steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation for candidate status.”

The Council regretted the Georgian government’s recent decision to suspend the country’s EU accession process until 2028.

It also strongly condemned the violence against peaceful protesters, media representatives and politicians, adding that the Georgian authorities “must respect the right to freedom of assembly and of expression, and refrain from using force.” It further said that “all acts of violence must be investigated and those responsible held accountable.”

The Council called on the Georgian authorities to urgently revert to the EU path and adopt democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms, including the implementation of the nine steps set in the 2023 Enlargement communication of the Commission.

“Georgia needs to guarantee the full respect for fundamental rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly, and the freedom, independence and pluralism of the media, as well as the rights of LGBTI persons,” the document reads. It says that “the intimidations, violence and discrimination against Georgia’s civil society representatives, political leaders, civil activists and journalists in Georgia need to cease.”

The Council also noted “with serious concern” the preliminary findings by OSCE/ODIHR, “which indicate that the parliamentary elections on 26 October were characterised by several shortcomings and a tense and highly polarised environment.”

The Council strongly encouraged Georgia to investigate and address electoral irregularities and allegations and to address these and other OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe bodies’ recommendations, and conduct electoral reform, which is also part of the nine steps.

The Council further noted the need of reform in judiciary, in line with EU standards and Venice Commission recommendations, in fighting corruption and organized crime, and implementation of deoligarchization actions.

On the economic criteria, the Council noted the moderate level of preparation and limited progress in developing a functioning market economy.

The Council commended the continued implementation of sound fiscal and monetary policies and encouraged Georgia to strengthen the independence of the central bank and implement other necessary structural reforms.

The Council called on Georgia to urgently fulfill the outstanding visa liberalization benchmarks including by aligning with the EU visa policy, addressing unfounded asylum applications and ensuring compliance with the fundamental rights requirements.  

It reaffirmed the EU’s support to Georgia’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

The General Affairs Council reiterated its “strong expectation for Georgia to substantially step up its efforts towards full alignment with EU CFSP positions and restrictive measures as a matter of utmost priority, including those against Russia and Belarus, and in line with the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.”

The Council called on Georgia’s authorities to refrain from actions and statements against the EU positions on foreign policy and encouraged Georgia to continue its cooperation on preventing the circumvention of EU restrictive measures.

Also Read:

• 15/12/2024 – Georgian Opposition Addresses EU, Urging Action
• 09/12/2024 – EU Ambassador Condemns Violence Against Demonstrators, Journalists
• 01/12/2024  – EU Leadership “Regrets” GD’s EU Turn
• 28/11/2024 – GD Aborts EU Accession

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