Georgia-EU relations, environmental protection, climate change discussed at Georgia's Road to EU Conference

The Georgian capital city of Tbilisi on Thursday hosted the Conference on Georgia’s Road to the European Union, organised by the Parliament of Georgia and the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum’s Georgian National Platform.

The conference focused on various key topics including environmental protection, agriculture, economic integration, and labour rights.

The Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili addressing the Conference devoted attention to the relationship between Georgia and the European Union and said it “extends far beyond the 12 recommendations [set out by the bloc to grant the country the EU candidate status]”.

Over the past year and a half, Georgian politics have been predominantly preoccupied with the issue of the 12 recommendations [...] These recommendations are crucial because they present a window of opportunity for Georgia to draw closer to the European Union. [...] However, [...] Georgia's connection with the EU is defined by the Association Agreement and the broader agenda that outlines what it truly means to be a part of the European family”, Papuashvili said.

Maia Bitadze, the Chair of the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Georgian Parliament, also delivered a speech at the Conference in which she emphasised the importance of environmental protection and adaptation to climate change, saying “the settlement of these issues begins with the regulation of legal acts”. 

She said Georgia “has started the harmonisation” of about 200 legal acts, directives and regulations since 2014. 

It can be said that [this process] was very successful in terms of adoption of legal acts, we have introduced about 65 percent of legal acts into the national legislation”, Bitadze said.

The Conference has been held for the second time with the first meeting held on July 25 discussing the issues related to justice and electoral reform.