Georgian parliament speaker raises concerns over EU funds transparency

According to Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, concerns persist regarding the transparency of EU funding in Georgia. Papuashvili raised these concerns while discussing the significance of the foreign transparency bill, which the country’s partners view as a hurdle to European integration.

“It may not align with the interests of certain parties, particularly those whose financial activities in Georgia lack transparency. Regrettably, EU funding in Georgia also lacks transparency,” Papuashvili conveyed to reporters, highlighting that “radical groups and political entities receive clandestine financing in Georgia” through EU funds.

 

While representatives of the ruling party emphasize that the objective of the bill is transparency, non-governmental organizations argue that it resembles legislation utilized in Russia to stifle dissenting voices critical of the government.

Thirteen months later, on April 3, 2024, the ruling party Georgian Dream reintroduced the bill, sparking renewed protests akin to those witnessed last year.