EU Association Implementation Report: ‘Georgia continued steadily on its European path’
EU report published today shows that Georgia remains committed to the obligations of the Association Agreement but challenges remain in the areas of electoral reform and reform of the judiciary. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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The European Union has published its Association Implementation Report on Georgia, which says that the country ‘continued steadily on its European path including in the challenging COVID-19 context’.
The document published earlier today reads that Georgia ‘has remained committed to the implementation, obligations and undertakings of the Association Agreement, despite COVID-19 related challenges’.
Alignment to the EU acquis as well as to European standards in the area of human rights has broadly continued. The EU stood by Georgia and made unprecedented and substantial efforts to support and help Georgia deal with the COVID-19 sanitary and socio-economic crisis”, the document reads.
It notes as well that ‘looking ahead, a demonstrated reform commitment as regards democracy consolidation and reform of the judiciary will be crucial to further advance on its European path’.
???????? EU report published today on the EU-Georgia Association Agreement shows that ???????? Georgia remains committed to the obligations of the Agreement but challenges remain in the areas of electoral reform and reform of the judiciary. Read more: https://t.co/JgeYz5hXub
— European External Action Service - EEAS ???????? (@eu_eeas) February 9, 2021
Based on the document, ‘the revised electoral framework, agreed in an inter-party dialogue during the first half of 2020, provided a sound basis for holding democratic elections and partially addressed previous OSCE/ODIHR and Council of Europe/Venice Commission recommendations’.
Nevertheless, despite overall competitive elections, a number of shortcomings have undermined the trust in the process and the opposition parties have boycotted the early proceedings of the new parliament”, the EU has reported.
The document meanwhile reads that ‘this demonstrates the need for further democratic consolidation, including by addressing the final recommendations of OSCE/ODIHR, through an inclusive dialogue and ahead of the October 2021 local elections’.
In the short-term, an inclusive political agreement between the majority and opposition is needed to enable work in parliament to advance the important reform agenda. More broadly, tackling the polarisation in Georgian politics and media remains a challenge”, it says.
The document also focuses on the ‘implementation of the fourth wave of judicial reforms', saying 'in general upholding the highest standards of ethics and integrity in the judiciary will remain essential throughout 2021’.
On June 27, 2014 Georgia signed the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union, which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Meanwhile, it says ‘it will be important that the selection procedure for Supreme Court judges is brought into line with European standards as soon as possible and that no further Supreme Court judges are appointed on the basis of the current legal framework’.
Further reform of the High Council of Justice will remain a priority. Setting up an ambitious anti-corruption agenda could help regain momentum in the fight against corruption, notably high-level corruption”, the document reads, noting that ‘it will also be important for Georgia to continue proactively addressing the continued high number of unfounded asylum applications’.
Finally, the document notes that ‘it will be crucial to ensure an inclusive, green and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and to make further progress on digitalisation and digital literacy’.
Moreover, structural reforms also ‘remain crucial as they make Georgia’s economy less vulnerable to external developments, notably COVID-19, and enhance the investment climate and trade potential’.
The report on the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, which has been approved by the European Parliament with 552 for and 61 against, says that Georgia has remained committed to the implementation of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) and is continuing its alignment with the EU standards,’ which is bringing increasing benefits.’
Georgian and foreign officials, including President Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, have joined in celebrating of the 6th anniversary of the signing of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
Georgia has taken a monumental step forward and signed the Association Agreement (AA), which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with the European Union (EU).
Georgia’s external trade turnover amounted to $1.65 billion in January-February 2021, which is 12% lower compared to the same period of the last year, show preliminary data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).
Seven years ago on June 27, Georgia signed the Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union in Brussels, which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell congratulated Georgia on the anniversary, calling the Association Agreement ‘the anchor of our close relationship’.
Business and investment conditions are sound in Georgia, however, there is an increasing lack of confidence in the judicial sector’s ability to adjudicate commercial cases independently or in a timely, competent manner, read the 2021 Investment Climate Statements about Georgia published by the US Department of State.
Georgian politicians have welcomed the 2021 Investment Climate Statements on Georgia published by the US Department of State today. Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava said that according to the statement the decisions made by the Georgian economic team contribute to the improvement of the investment environment and make all sectors of the Georgian economy attractive for foreign investors.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) MP who chairs the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, says that Georgia remains on the top of the EU agenda and is regarded as an ‘important ally’ for the European Union.
Georgia has made “significant progress” on its path to European Union membership over the recent years, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday at the Parliament.
The Association Committee on Trade Issues, created within the 2014-signed Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement between Georgia and the European Union, this week discussed the country’s implementation of its obligations under the deal in Brussels.