Over the past five months, the Georgian authorities have taken no significant action to fulfill the 9 conditions set by the European Union. Specifically, 7 steps are yet to be implemented, with minor progress on 2 of them. This is according to the first interim report prepared by twelve civil society organizations.
Status Meter assesses that since November 2023, the Georgian authorities have made efforts towards meeting the 9 recommendations set by the European Union for the start of accession negotiations with Georgia.
On December 5, 2023, the European Council decided to grant Georgia candidate status for EU accession.
On December 26, the Georgian government published an action plan for implementing the steps outlined by the European Commission.
In a joint statement, civil society organizations note:
There has been minor progress on the second condition (improving Georgia’s alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy) and the seventh condition (combating organized crime and corruption). The following conditions must be fulfilled:
Combating disinformation
Overcoming polarization
Free and fair elections
Parliamentary oversight and institutional independence
Judicial reform
De-oligarchization
Human rights compliance
“Unfortunately, the government lacks the political will to implement these 9 recommendations, as evidenced by its attempt to pass the foreign agents law, which obstructs Georgia’s path to the EU.
The nine recommendations from the European Commission are multi-faceted, and their implementation requires a comprehensive approach. Civil society organizations will continue to monitor this process, provide assessments of the current situation to all stakeholders, and strive to promote both government accountability and the transparency and inclusivity of the reform process.
At the same time, we are ready to collaborate with the authorities to advance systemic and fundamental reforms,” the statement concludes.
Here are the civil society organizations working on thematic areas corresponding to the 9 recommendations:
Combatting disinformation:
Georgian Reform Association (GRASS)
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)
Democracy Research Institute (DRI)
Improving Georgia’s alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy:
Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS)
Georgian Reform Association (GRASS)
Overcoming political polarization:
Georgian Reform Association (GRASS)
Free and fair elections:
International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)
Enhancing parliamentary oversight:
Democracy Research Institute (DRI) Young Lawyers Association of Georgia (GYLA) Social Justice Center (SJC) Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI) Georgian Reform Association (GRASS)
Judicial reform:
Court Watch Young Lawyers Association of Georgia (GYLA) Social Justice Center (SJC)
Fighting corruption:
Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) Management Control Center (GMC) Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI)
De-oligarchization:
Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) Management Control Center (GMC) Georgian Reform Association (GRASS)
Human rights compliance:
Young Lawyers Association of Georgia (GYLA)
Social Justice Center (SJC)
Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI)
Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS)
