EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy lead Spokesperson Peter Stano once again criticized the infamous Foreign Agents Law, saying that the law is not in line with European values and European expectations of Georgia, and that if finally adopted, “[the law] can actually work counter the ambition of Georgia to get closer to the European Union.”
“We were very clear: the adoption of this law is moving Georgia away from its stated objective to get closer to the European Union,” Stano said at the European Council press briefing on April 29.
Stano also said that the EU is holding talks with the Georgian government and Georgian parliamentarians “to make it very clear what’s wrong with this law and what the negative consequences of this law would be,” outlining the threats the foreign agents law poses to Georgian NGOs, media and Georgian civil society as a whole, and more generally to the country’s goal of moving forward on the path to EU accession.
He also said that the European Union will reflect “all these things” in the next Enlargement Report to be published in the fall. He stressed that if there is no progress or backsliding on certain issues, then it will affect the “overall approach and overall progress” of the country in achieving the “stated priority” of the people and the government to move closer to the EU.
EU Mission in Georgia announced on April 30 that on May 1-2, Gert Jan Koopman, European Commission Director General for Neighbourhood & Enlargement Negotiations, will visit Georgia “to discuss EU-Georgia cooperation, including the work on the 9 steps linked to Georgia’s EU candidate status, with officials, civil society, and other partners.” According to the announcement he will also launch several EU-funded projects in the country.
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