Georgia awaiting “historic decision” on EU candidacy - Parliament Speaker

Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Tuesday said he was confident the country would be granted the European Union membership candidate status this week in a “historic decision” by the European Council. 

In his press comments, Papuashvili claimed "all prerequisites are present, and there is nothing standing in the way for the Georgian people to hear on December 14-15 [about] the decision that recognises the historical truth that Georgia is part of the European family". 

Citing “encouraging sentiments” from member states during Monday's Eastern Partnership Ministerial meeting in Brussels, the official said the latest comments were coupled with the positive recommendation from the European Commission last month for the Council to grant Tbilisi the requested status. 

The country’s official application for EU membership was submitted in March 2022, against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Having been granted a European perspective in June 2022, Georgia is now poised for a milestone decision by the European Council. 

The Commission recommended granting the status to the country on November 8 and set out nine conditions for the subsequent phase of European integration.

The conditions range from combating disinformation and foreign information manipulation about the EU to aligning the country's foreign and security policies with the bloc. Additionally, the reforms extend into the judiciary, electoral processes, and human rights areas.

Key conditions also include a commitment to a systemic approach to de-oligarchisation, efforts to depolarise the domestic political environment, and improvements in the Parliament's oversight function.