European Parliament approves resolution on implementation of Georgia-EU Association Agreement

The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the resolution on the implementation of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union.

Approved with the support of 430 MEPs, with 52 voting against and 126 abstaining, the resolution was prepared based on a report by Sven Mikser, an Estonian MEP, member of the Progressive Alliance of European Socialists and Democrats, and Rapporteur of the European Parliament on Georgia.

The Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament had supported the report on Georgia's implementation of the Association Agreement with compromise amendments on November 8.

One of the amendments to the report said “the European Parliament emphasises the need to eliminate the excessive influence of personal interests in economic, political and public life as one of the priorities defined by the European Commission, which should be considered before granting Georgia candidate status”.

It also reiterates its call on the European Council and democratic partners to take “appropriate measures”, including by “imposing personal sanctions on the former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and all those who facilitate and are responsible for the deterioration of the democratic political process, if it is proven that Georgia helps Russia to avoid international sanctions”.

The annual report, adopted by the European Parliament, also expressed concern that “deep polarisation continues to be a defining feature of Georgia's political environment”. 

The report calls on all political parties in Georgia to refrain from “divisive and aggressive” rhetoric and unite their forces in order not to jeopardise the country’s accession to the European Union.

Mikser said the report would also include an amendment with a recommendation to the President of Georgia to pardon Nika Gvaramia, the founder of Mtavari Arkhi channel convicted for corrupt commercial deals during his time at the head of the Rustavi 2 channel. The MEP said the amendment would be based on opinions expressed by the Georgian Public Defender on December 7.