The Delegation of the European Union to Georgia answered questions from the public about the EU’s work in Georgia and its support for the country’s path to EU membership. Paweł Herczyński, EU Ambassador to Georgia, Asuncion Sanchez Ruiz, Deputy Head of the EU Mission to Georgia, Nicholas Cendrowicz, Head of the Development and Cooperation Department of the EU Delegation to Georgia, and the Delegation members answered questions on the official website of the delegation. Civil.ge has summarized some of the key messages from their answers.
Answering to the question on the significance of Georgia’s EU candidate status, Ambassador Herczyński emphasized that the granting of this status was “a recognition of the strong support that the people of Georgia have demonstrated for its European future,” while stressing the need to meet the nine conditions set by the European Commission to bring the country closer to the EU standards.
Regarding the reduction of political polarization in Georgia, Deputy Head of Mission Asuncion Sanchez Ruiz stressed that the EU path is a “national goal” and that the parties must now agree on how to achieve this national goal, reiterating the importance of fulfilling the nine conditions. She also stressed that each of the 9 steps, if fulfilled, leads to depolarization: from improving the electoral process and parliamentary oversight, to fighting disinformation and ensuring fundamental rights such as freedom of assembly and expression.
With regard to countering Russian propaganda and disinformation, the Deputy Head of Mission emphasized the importance of cooperation among various actors in the country, referring in particular to government agencies, STRATCOMs, civil society organizations, fact-checkers, academia, the media and other key actors. She also underlined: “Georgia needs a rigorous and inclusive national strategy, complemented with a cross-sectoral and measurable action plan with rigorous oversight mechanisms,” stressing that countering disinformation is a matter of national and European security.
On the question of how candidate status could improve Georgia’s justice system, the Delegation stressed that the judiciary should be based on human rights and comply with international standards, stressing that “this requires a firm commitment to eliminating external influences over the judiciary and to devoting adequate financial resources and training.” The Delegation stressed: “A fair, impartial, inclusive, accessible and effective judicial system is an integral part of the Rule of Law obligation for all EU Member States and candidate countries. “
On the question of how could Georgia’s occupied territories affect the country’s EU accession path, the Delegation stressed that the country’s European future “cannot and will not be taken hostage by the conflict.” The Delegation expressed conviction that “strengthening further democracy and the rule of law in Georgia as part of the path towards EU membership will inevitably make Georgia attractive for the people in the occupied breakaway regions.”
Regarding concerns about Georgia’s possible membership in the Schengen area, given that the country does not have a direct land border with the European Union, the delegation emphasized that the Schengen area is not defined by the type of border, citing the examples of some EU Member States, such as Malta, Cyprus and Ireland, which are also members of the Schengen area despite not sharing a land border with the rest of the EU. However, the delegation stressed that before joining the Schengen area, the country would have to adapt to the common rules of Schengen.
Asked how the EU candidacy could improve labor rights and facilitate legal employment opportunities for Georgian citizens in EU countries, Ambassador Herczyński said that Georgia’s alignment with EU standards during the accession process would improve working conditions and ensure non-discrimination.
