Deputy Minister of Economy Talks about DCFTA in Strasburg

Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Genady Arveladze visited Strasburg last week to speak at the European Parliament. Arveladze told the members of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement Parliamentary Committee about the progress and challenges achieved in the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreement (DCFTA). The Deputy Minister said “the number of Georgian products in the EU market is increasing significantly,” stressing that the 2018 trade turnover of Georgia with the EU reached the highest level in the history of trade relations between the parties.

After the Parliamentary session, Arveladze briefed reporters, saying "We talked about the activities to be undertaken in 2018, as well as the challenges that we see in the next few years.” He noted plans to focus especially on small and medium businesses in the agriculture sector, and to introduce regulations and laboratory studies, as well as focus on the quality of infrastructure. He also shared plans to increase the market supervision of industry and consumer products – a major topic of concern among Georgian consumers, and necessary for increasing Georgian exports to the European Union.

Arveladze also updated Parliamentary Committee members on recent changes in Georgia’s customs policies and regulations, and the introduction of geographical indications on products including Sulguni cheese, Tushetian Guda, and matsoni. “We have also provided information on the legislative amendments that have been implemented in the direction of labor security and related reforms planned by the end of the year,” he said.

The Ministry of Economy measured 2018 as the most robust for trade between Georgia and the EU. Georgia exported an unprecedented $730 million worth of products to the EU last year. Arveladze predicted that the trend will continue as Georgian products become increasingly recognized by EU consumers, and their market share can grow.

The EU-Georgia Association Agreement Committee of the Parliament of Europe is composed of members of the Parliament of Georgia and the Parliament of Europe. The body serves as one of the institutional frameworks that the Association Agreement establishes for co-operation between the EU and Georgia, along with the Association Council and Associate Committees operating within the Executive Authority. Its main objective is to supervise the implementation of the Association Agreement and promote Georgia's integration into Europe, explains the Ministry of Economy.

Within the framework of Arveladze’s visit, the Committee discussed more broadly relations between Georgia and the EU and the Association Agreement implementation process. They touched on Georgia’s progress on issues of democracy and human rights, challenges in the country’s EU visa-free process, and the impact of the DCFTA on the economy as a whole.

Fellow Deputy Minister Natia Turnava accompanied Arveladze to Strasburg, and both participated in the Parliamentary Committee session.

By Samantha Guthrie

Image source: Ministry of Economy