European Commission: Georgia remains an EU candidate country in name only

The European Commission has published its annual report on EU enlargement, in which it assessed the progress of countries on their path to joining the European Union.

Georgia received candidate country status in 2023 with the requirement to fulfill nine points in order to begin negotiations. According to the Commission's assessment, some of the points were either not fulfilled at all or were only partially fulfilled, as a result of which the country was denied the start of negotiations on accession to the EU. The Georgian authorities consider this decision unfair.

"The continued backsliding on fundamental indicators observed during the reporting period confirms that Georgia remains an EU candidate only nominally and continues to miss out on the advantages offered by this status and the process of preparing for accession," the report says, Sputnik Georgia reports.

In addition, the report contains sharp criticism of the ruling party "Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia.

"The ruling party in Georgia continues to undermine the country's path to EU accession, continuing its attack on democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as contributing to further state capture. As a result of increasingly repressive legislation, civic space has been further and seriously restricted," the report says.

The European Commission also accused Georgia of continuing to fail to implement the nine steps set out in the Commission's recommendation on granting candidate status.

"The Georgian authorities have not responded to concerns about the state of democracy and fundamental rights in the country, which led the EU to suspend the visa-free regime for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports, which puts the visa-free regime as a whole at risk," the report says.

At the same time, the document states that the EU's long-term support for Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity remains unchanged, as does its unwavering support for the European aspirations of the Georgian people.

"If the Georgian authorities decide to change course and reaffirm their commitment to the fundamental principles of EU accession – democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights – the country's path to the EU could resume," the report says.

The bulk of the European Commission's concerns regarding Georgia relate to the deterioration or lack of progress on such issues as the protection of human rights, the independence of the judiciary, and the participation of civil society in the decision-making process.

The European Commission also notes that alignment with the EU's common foreign and security policy is a strong signal of a candidate country's strategic orientation.

"Full alignment with EU policy, including the implementation of EU sanctions, is a key requirement for membership. This includes taking measures to prevent the circumvention of EU sanctions," the report notes. It is also emphasized that Georgia's level of alignment with EU policy has decreased.

At the same time, the European Commission notes the country's high economic growth and the stability of its economy. At present, the Georgian authorities note that on the path to the EU they are guided not by the European Commission's nine points, but by the road map of the Association Agreement signed in 2017.