Results of EU, CoE Projects in Georgia 2015 - 2018 Presented

6 November, the Council of Europe and the Delegation of the European Union presented results of their joint projects in Georgia from 2015 - 2018.

The projects, funded by 4.1 million Euros from the EU (85%) and European Council (15%), helped Georgian authorities to: apply the European Convention on Human Rights; civic integration of national minorities; supporting the Georgian Bar Association, improving health care in prisons; countering money laundering; promoting freedom, professionalism and pluralism of the media; protecting internet freedom, and assisted in elections.

The meeting, its fourth kind in Tbilisi, discussed the results of the first phase of the project, which aimed to harmonize the Georgian system to European standards.

Pilar Morales, Head of the Programming Department at the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), mentioned how, although the joint venture was not always easy, useful lessons have been learned and good results were achieved. For example, the federal judges received training in the European Convention on Human Rights in association with the Georgian Bar Association, leading to a better quality of justice in Georgia. This has notably helped women who were victims of violence, she mentioned.

The second part of the project will commence at the beginning of next year.

by Amy Jones 

Photo: European Union Extended Action