EU Commission’s report on Georgia’s EU candidacy conditions “confirms Gov’t efforts” - Parliament Speaker
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said the European Commission's October report was expected to consider all recommendations fulfilled. Photo: Parliament press office
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Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Friday said the European Commission’s oral report on Georgia’s implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the former body last year for granting the country the European Union’s membership candidate status had “confirmed the efforts” by domestic authorities to meet the recommendations.
Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, said Georgia had “fully met” three of the conditions, “partially met” seven, showed “limited progress” on the deoligarchisation and “no progress” on media pluralism, following an informal meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Stockholm on Thursday.
The conclusion contrasted with statements by Georgian Government officials over the recent weeks, who had estimated all of the recommendations would be fulfilled by late June, but Papuashvili said the report had not reflected the Georgian Parliament’s most recent work on the conditions.
He also pledged an “intensive communication” with the bloc about “all moves and efforts” by the Georgian authorities to fulfil the conditions, to ensure they were “completely reflected” in the European Commission’s forthcoming report in October for the European Council on whether to grant Georgia the status in December.
Considering the [interim] report, we are confident that by late October, when there is the final assessment based on our further work, all recommendations will be considered fulfilled”, Papuashvili said.
He also added Tbilisi was also expecting the EU Commission’s “clear stance” on its condition on deoligarchisation, following the recommendation of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe to the Georgian Government earlier this month to ensure a “systemic” and not “personalised” approach to the issue.
Government officials have claimed the European Commission’s 2022 recommendation on the issue contradicts the opinion of the Venice Commission and calls for a personalised legislative initiative targeting potential oligarchs in the country.
Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, on Thursday said Georgia had fulfilled three out of the 12 priorities outlined by the European Union for granting the country its membership candidate status, in his oral interim report on Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova on the implementation of the EU reforms.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Thursday said the ruling team had “positive” expectations regarding the oral report by the European Commission on the implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the ruling team would take into account requests of European partners and not approve the domestic bill on deoligarchisation - designed to address one of the conditions for Georgia to be granted the EU membership candidate status - until December.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said Georgia would fulfil all 12 priorities set by the European Union for granting the country its membership candidate status, so that there would be “no reason left” for not granting Georgia the status in December.
The annual 48th plenary session of the European Region of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, a forum for political dialogue involving 90 countries across five continents, will take place in Tbilisi between July 4-8, the Georgian Parliament announced on Monday.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said support from all countries for the European Union to grant its membership candidate status to Georgia was “welcome” on the backdrop of the country being “treated unfairly for a year now” by having been left without the status in 2022.
Archil Talakvadze, the Georgian Parliament's Vice Speaker, on Wednesday said the Government would do “everything” to ensure that the European Union has" full basis” to grant the country it's membership candidate status later this year.
Charles Michel, the European Council President, on Thursday pledged his body’s support for Georgia’s European integration efforts, saying “much” in the process would be dependent on the country’s implementation of the 12-point conditions outlined by the bloc last year for granting its membership candidate status to Georgia.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday claimed domestic authorities had “never attacked” MEPs and “only responded” to “absurd, unfounded claims” by “certain” European lawmakers.
The Georgian Government on Monday announced it would develop an action plan to address the task of deoligarchisation in the country “in accordance with the Venice Commission opinion and the requirements of the European Union”, ahead of the bloc’s decision whether to grant Georgia its membership candidate status later this year.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday reacted to controversy over planned amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, aimed at “preventing hate speech and incitement to terrorism” by claiming the bill, approved by the Parliament in its first reading this week, was a “directive of the European Union”.
Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, on Tuesday said Georgia’s domestic Law on Broadcasting, approved by the country’s Parliament this month, met the related standards of the bloc.