EU officials condemn Georgia’s new Foreign Agents Law as threat to democracy

On May 31, the European Union’s High Representative and Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos issued a joint statement condemning Georgia’s new Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law, passed by Georgia’s Parliament on April 1 and effective from today, has been widely criticized for targeting independent media, civil society organizations, and dissenting voices.

Kallas and Kos warned that this legislation represents a severe setback for Georgia’s democracy. They noted that, alongside recent laws affecting broadcasting and grant activities, it signals a broader effort by Georgian authorities to restrict freedoms, suppress civil society, and stifle independent journalism.

"These repressive measures threaten the very survival of Georgia’s democratic foundations and the future of its citizens in a free and open society," they stated.

The statement also referenced European Council conclusions from June and October 2024, which had already warned that Georgia’s actions jeopardized its path toward EU accession. Kallas and Kos reiterated the EU’s call for Georgian authorities to respect their people’s demands for democracy and a European future.

"The EU reiterates its call on the Georgian authorities to heed their citizens’ clear demands for democracy and a European future, and to release all unjustly detained journalists, activists,protesters, and political leaders," Kaja Kallas and Marta Kos stressed.

The statement concluded with a message that the EU remains ready to consider Georgia’s return to the EU accession path—if the authorities take credible steps to reverse the current trajectory.

Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act is based on the US FARA model, but unlike its American counterpart, it directly targets independent civil society and media organizations. The law mandates registration, public disclosure of funding sources, and annual financial declarations. Failure to comply can result in fines or up to five years in prison, with legal entities also facing monetary penalties. Oversight and enforcement of the law falls under Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, led by Razhden Kuprashvili.