Parliament Speaker: 82 laws adopted in 2022 to meet EU candidacy conditions

Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said the legislative body had adopted 291 laws this year, including 82 designed for obtaining the European Union membership candidate status next year, in his end-of-year comments on lawmaking work throughout 2022.

The latter number follows Parliamentary work for fulfilling conditions outlined by EU bodies for granting the country the bloc’s membership candidate status, which Georgia applied for in March. 

The conditions include reforms of the judiciary and electoral systems, as well as updates to legal frameworks in a number of directions.

• Georgian parliament speaker: “majority” EU conditions will be fulfilled by end of December

Describing the year as “very productive”, the official stressed the Parliament had hosted 20 sessions involving Government representatives addressing MPs and answering their questions, including three sessions involving Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. 

Georgia applied for EU membership on March 3. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Papuashvili also said state agencies accountable to the Parliament had presented 20 reports over the year, while 12 committee investigations had been launched and seven completed. 

He noted proposals for the creation of four investigative commissions, however adding none had been presented at a plenary session for approval. 

Commenting on foreign trips, the official said he had made 18 visits this year, while the figure reached 43 for permanent Parliamentary delegations and five for friendship groups set up at the lawmaking body. 

The Speaker also pointed out his body had hosted 32 foreign delegations in the same period - four of which had been chaired by parliament speakers - as well as 5,300 visitors, including students, with the aim of introducing them to the work of the institution.