EU suspends Georgia's accession, urging to return to integration path

An EU statement, circulated by the EU Delegation in Georgia, has stated that the process of Georgia's integration into the European Union was suspended.

“The EU recalls that Georgia's accession process has been effectively suspended and calls on the authorities to return to the path of integration,” the statement reads, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

Through the statement, the EU condemned a bill adopted by the Georgian parliament to ban LGBT propaganda.

Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in December 2023, on the understanding that Georgia takes the relevant steps as set out in a Commission recommendation.

In parallel to the enlargement process, the EU and Georgia also cooperate to strengthen political and economic relations, including through the Eastern Partnership. 

In its conclusions on 27 June 2024, the European Council expressed its serious concerns regarding recent developments in Georgia, particularly in view of the adoption of the law on the transparency of foreign influence. This law represents a back-sliding on the steps set out in the Commission's recommendation for Georgia's candidate status, de facto leading to a halt of the accession process.

In that regard, the EU leaders called on the Georgian authorities to clarify their intentions by reversing the current course of action, and ensure that the upcoming parliamentary elections this autumn are free and fair.