The European Union is ready to react appropriately to the developments in Georgia. POLITICO reports that the European Commission spokesperson “said that “all options are on the table” if the ruling Georgian Dream party continues on its authoritarian trajectory, “including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme.”
Under a visa liberalization agreement signed in 2017, Georgian citizens can spend up to three months a year in the EU without a visa – a tangible and valuable achievement that has benefited many ordinary Georgians who previously had to wait in a long process of applying for visas.
“As part of the EU-Georgia visa liberalization dialogue and the corresponding Action Plan, Georgia was required to meet specific benchmarks, including ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and preventing discrimination,” the POLITICO quotes the spokesperson.
“An assessment would of course take place in case of developments posing a risk to the internal security of the Schengen area, as well as in case of a further democratic decline in Georgia.”
Noting that “The European Commission conducts an annual review of the fulfillment of the benchmarks for visa liberalization,” the EU Commission official stresses: “Respect for fundamental rights is also a core principle of the accession process and will be assessed in the forthcoming enlargement report.”
Commission spokesperson also commented to local media Formula saying that consultations with the foreign ministries of the EU member states have already been completed. Notably, the suspension of the visa regime with a country is a decision that does not require unanimity among the member states.
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