Environmental Minister, European Commissioner discuss Georgia’s progress on EU integration path

Otar Shamugia, the Georgian Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, on Thursday discussed the “significant success” of the country on the path of European integration during his meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries in Brussels. 

The Ministry of Agriculture said the meeting highlighted Georgia’s “tangible progress” in the priority areas outlined in the analytical report of the European Commission, published last year.

We are ready to continue working even more intensively to fulfil the priorities and recommendations set by the European Commission. The Ministry is actively preparing for the next steps of European integration”, Shamugia said.

The Georgian Minister provided the European Commissioner with detailed information about reforms carried out in environmental protection, including convergence of national legislation of air quality management to EU standards, adoption of a new industrial emissions law, introduction of modern water resources management systems, and protection of biodiversity.

In his turn, Sinkevičius welcomed the environmental protection reforms carried out in Georgia, and the pace the country was taking in its European integration. 

The Ministry added the European Commissioner had expressed his “full support” to future sectoral reforms.