Euro Parliament Issues Report on EU Association Agreement with Georgia

European Parliament released information on the official Report on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Georgia.

At the sitting of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, the report on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Georgia was sustained by 56 MEPs, eight of whom voted in contradiction of the report and six refrained.

Members of the European Parliament appreciated the persistence of the expansion of EU-Georgia associations. Furthermore, the EP acknowledges the country’s recent progress in applying the wide-ranging political and economic reforms that have made Georgia a key EU partner in the region.

The report by the European Parliament also states that “enhanced cooperation and EU assistance depend on the continuation of progress in reforms, in particular in the spheres of democracy and the rule of law, including control and balance of power of institutions, the independence of the judiciary, and electoral reform.”

The report, which also evaluates the media environment in Georgia, states that it is “dynamic and pluralistic, but at the same time polarized.” MEPs emphasize the importance of editorial freedom and non-discriminatory reportage of political views in the programs of private media and especially by the public broadcaster during the upcoming election campaign in October.

The MEPs denounce the regular violations of the rights and freedoms of individuals living in the occupied territories of Georgia, Abkhazia and the South Ossetia, which is annexed by Russia.