Venice Commission Secretary pledges more recommendations with Georgia “on EU path”

Simona Granata-Menghini, the Director and Secretary of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, on Thursday said the body would continue issuing recommendations on bills to be implemented in Georgia as the country now found itself “on the path to joining the European Union”. 

The visiting official noted the Venice Commission had worked with the Georgian authorities for almost 25 years and had “accompanied the country through many stages” of its development.

There are many recommendations that have already been given. Some recommendations will be given in December. We are preparing other opinions. There will be more given in the future, especially in connection with the European Union path”, Granata-Menghini said.

She also stressed the implementation of the body’s recommendations were not “binding”, but noted that “we do set red lines, and these red lines are based on standards which are obligatory”. 

[These recommendations] stem from the European Court of Human Rights, from the European Convention, from the instruments that constitute hard law. So we set these red lines and these recommendations - there are past ones, there are present ones, and there will be future ones”, she continued. 

The official added electoral and judicial reforms were “key” for the country, and it was “necessary that they should be shared to the extent possible”.