The Government of Georgia on Monday unveiled an action plan aimed at meeting the conditions specified by the European Commission for potential European Union accession. The plan, which comes following the European Council decision this month to grant Tbilisi the bloc’s candidacy, covers various areas:
Combatting Disinformation and External Interference:
Targeting disinformation, external information manipulation, and interference against the EU and its values.
Alignment with EU Foreign and Security Policy:
Improving Georgia’s convergence with the common foreign and security policy of the European Union.
Political Polarization:
Working to overcome political polarization, especially with parliamentary opposition parties.
Ensuring inclusivity in the legislative process related to European integration.
Electoral Process:
Ensuring a free, fair, and competitive electoral process, especially in 2024.
Full consideration of OSCE-ODIHR recommendations.
Completing electoral reforms well before election day, including adequate voter representation.
Institutional Oversight:
Improving the enforcement of parliamentary oversight, particularly over security services.
Ensuring institutional independence and impartiality of key institutions, including the election administration, the National Bank, and the Communications Commission.
Judicial Reform:
Completing and implementing comprehensive judicial reform.
Reforming the High Council of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office in line with recommendations from the Venice Commission.
Anti-Corruption Measures:
Ensuring the effectiveness, institutional independence, and impartiality of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Special Investigation Service, and Personal Data Protection Service.
Implementing recommendations from the Venice Commission through an inclusive process.
Investigation of Corruption and Organized Crime:
Building experience in the investigation of cases related to corruption and organized crime.
De-oligarchization:
Improving the existing action plan for de-oligarchization.
Implementing a multi-sectoral, systemic approach in accordance with Venice Commission recommendations.
Ensuring transparency and inclusivity involving opposition parties and civil society.
Human Rights Protection:
Improving human rights protection.
Implementing an ambitious human rights strategy.
Ensuring freedom of assembly and expression.
Initiating impartial, effective, and timely investigations into incidents affecting vulnerable groups, media professionals, and civil society activists.
Conducting consultations and cooperation with civil society, enabling their substantial involvement in legislative and policy-making processes.
As part of the activities outlined:
Development of an action plan for a communication campaign to promote the European Union and its values in Georgia.
Implementation of the action plan.
Improving adherence to EU positions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Continued cooperation with relevant EU structures to prevent the use of Georgia’s territory to evade EU sanctions.
Involvement of all parliamentary political parties in working formats related to European integration and major reforms.
Cooperation with civil society on Georgia-EU agenda issues.
Invitation of an OSCE/ODIHR long-term observation mission for the 2024 elections.
Creation of working formats for effective cooperation between relevant authorities and monitoring organizations.
Changes to the election code on party/election financing.
Facilitation of regular dialogue with all parliamentary political parties and NGOs to improve oversight practices.
Completion of the composition of the parliamentary trust group.
Creation of a working format with the participation of all parliamentary political parties and non-governmental organizations on the issues of judicial and prosecutor’s office reform.
Initiation of legislative changes to implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
Approval of the deoligarchization plan after consultation with parliamentary political parties and non-governmental organizations.
Meetings with parliamentary political parties and non-governmental organizations to effectively monitor the implementation of the deoligarchization plan.
Joint meeting of civil society, international organizations, and state agencies to discuss human rights protection for 2024-2026.
Drafting and approval of the National Action Plan after consultation with parliamentary political parties and non-governmental organizations.
Holding meetings with civil society organizations on ongoing investigations.
Providing the European Commission with comprehensive information regarding investigations.
Holding regular meetings with NGOs to facilitate their involvement in legislative and policy formulation processes.