EU Human Rights and Democracy report “another proof” Georgia “deserved” bloc’s candidacy - ruling party MP

Rati Ionatamishvili, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the European Union’s latest Human Rights and Democracy in the World report had confirmed Tbilisi “deserved” the bloc’s membership candidate status last year. 

In his comments on the 2022 report, which was published on Tuesday and said Georgia had a “solid” human rights framework and its legislations and policies were in line with international and European standards, the lawmaker claimed the assessments put the country ahead of Ukraine and Moldova - the other countries of the EU’s Associated Trio which, unlike Georgia, were granted the bloc’s candidate status last year - and the Balkan states. 

This report is another strong and solid argument in favour of the position that, in case of a merit-based and fair decision, Georgia deserved the status last year and deserves it even more today", the MP said. 

The report said Georgia had achieved progress in reforms of the electoral system in 2022 as well as in public administration, enhancement of gender equality, rights of children and persons with disabilities. 

However, the bloc emphasised that “implementation should be strengthened in several areas”, including judicial reforms, anti-corruption and strengthening of the independence of state institutions. It also stressed the human rights situation in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions remained “concerning”.

The report also said the EU focused on strengthening the independence and accountability of the judiciary, reducing inequalities, contributing to combating discrimination and empowering the civil society to promote and defend civic rights.

Georgia officially applied for EU membership in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, along with the latter and Moldova. The European Council granted Ukraine and Moldova the bloc’s full candidacy with conditions in June 2022, while Georgia obtained only a European perspective with conditions. The decision was welcomed by the Georgian Government as “historic”, which, at the same time, decried it as “not being merit-based”. 

The bloc is scheduled to decide on Georgia’s candidacy in December, after the European Commission unveils its assessments in October on the country’s implementation of a related reform agenda.