EU Commission report shows Georgia deserves candidate status as “top reformer” - PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday responded to the newly published European Commission report on the country’s alignment with the European Union by stressing the document had “once again demonstrated” his country deserved the membership candidate status as a “top reformer”. 

• Gov’t has ensured “all possible progress” for EU integration - PM

The 57-page analytical report on Georgia was released on Thursday, focusing on the country’s alignment of EU laws in 33 chapters following the country’s application for membership last year. 

EU Commission has published an analytical report on ????????'s alignment with the EU acquis. The document clearly reflects our country's progress in the ????????integration path& once again demonstrates that????????, as a top reformer deserves to be granted a candidate status.

— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) February 3, 2023

It completed the Commission’s opinion on Georgia’s application for a member status, assessed the country’s overall capacity to uphold obligations of membership and offered guidance on the work ahead under the different acquis chapters.

Congratulating the Government and citizens of the country on the “very positive” report, Pawel Herczynski, the EU Ambassador to Georgia, on Friday said the bloc was ready to assist the country move forward on its European integration path.

• EU Ambassador highlights European Commission's “very positive” report on Georgia

But from my point of view, the overall assessment is very positive”, Herczynski said.

Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was granted a European perspective by the European Council in June, along with priorities to address for gaining the bloc’s candidate status.