Georgian Parliament passes agents’ law in final reading amidst national turmoil, int’l backlash

The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday passed the controversial foreign transparency bill in its third and final reading amidst mass protests in Tbilisi and international criticism that it could impede the country’s European integration. 

Now the bill will be passed to the President to sign to go into effect, who had pledged to veto it. 

The Transparency of Foreign Influence bill, spearheaded by the ruling Georgian Dream faction and supported by 84 MPs, requires the registration of non-entrepreneurial legal entities and media outlets deemed to serve the interests of foreign powers. These entities, whose income predominantly exceeds 20% from foreign sources, will be mandated to register publicly under their respective names, disclosing their foreign income. Additionally, they will be required to submit annual financial declarations.

Under this legislation, the Ministry of Justice is empowered to conduct ongoing research and monitoring to identify organizations influenced by foreign powers. Amendments made during the legislative process replaced the criterion for initiating monitoring from a “proper reference” to “proper information”.

In cases where an organization is found to meet the criteria for foreign influence but fails to register, the Ministry of Justice, upon the appeal of an authorized person, will register the entity as such, subjecting it to legal obligations and penalties. Failure to register or submit declarations will result in fines ranging from 10 to 25 thousand GEL, with escalating penalties for prolonged non-compliance.