We positively assess the European Commission’s [EC] report, it is important to note that in the report, the EC identified backsliding in only 1 of the 35 chapters, writes the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament on the social network.

“According to the EC’s assessment, Georgia has shown good progress in 12 out of 35 chapters, some progress in 13 over the past year. This is an apparent confirmation that Georgia was taking significant steps on the EU integration path despite having limited time for parliamentary activities due to elections and despite constant obstruction from the opposition and NGO sector.

In the report, the EC identified backsliding in only 1 of the 35 chapters, specifically in the chapter concerning justice and fundamental rights. Furthermore, the EC cites the abolition of gender quotas, the adoption of the transparency law, the law on family values and the protection of minors, and the inability to hold an LGBT pride event as the primary reasons for this assessment.

It is also worth noting that, in this chapter, our assessment is on par with that of Ukraine and Moldova. However, in the “Fundamentals cluster,” which encompasses this chapter, Georgia is ahead of both Ukraine and Moldova.

The fact that Georgia does not currently have mutual agreements with the EU regarding transparency and anti-LGBT propaganda laws is not new to our society. These laws were central issues in the elections, and our citizens clearly articulated their stance on them. We will continue to discuss these matters with the EU, taking into account the opinions of the Georgian people.

Besides the fundamental direction, Georgia is ahead of Ukraine and Moldova in the overall assessment of internal market and competitiveness clusters, which is the main essence of the EU as an organization. It was around these issues that the EU was created in its time, and this is why the EU is attractive to many.

Thus, considering the overall assessment, Georgia still solidly leads Moldova, while lagging behind Ukraine only in three clusters – external relations, green agenda, and resources. It should also be noted that we are even further ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with which accession negotiations have also begun.

These 35 chapters are Georgia’s path to EU membership or Georgia’s European path. This is a dynamic, business-like, expert process in which Georgia has been faithfully, systematically moving forward step by step since 2014.

At the same time, we observe attempts by certain EU representatives to politicize this process to an extreme degree. Everyone needs to understand that such an imprudent approach transforms European integration from a tool of cooperation into a political weapon. Unfortunately, this ultimately undermines the integration process itself and damages the EU’s reputation.

I would like to address the frequently used term “halt of European integration.” The fact that the EC has worked on the enlargement document, assessed Georgia’s progress, and provided us with recommendations indicates that this term is more of a political statement than an institutional status. Just as the EU continues to evaluate Georgia, we remain committed to addressing the issues outlined in the Association Agreement. This is the essence of European integration; it has not stopped and cannot be halted. If our achievements in this process have taught us anything, it is that European integration is focused on long-term results rather than responding to momentary political fluctuations.

In the parliamentary elections, the people made a clear choice: they favoured the integration process over the opposition’s hysterical politics and opted for Georgian Dream’s business-like, constructive approach that prioritizes the interests of the Georgian people. We have already fulfilled a significant portion of the Association Agreement and are on track to complete 90% of it by 2028, thereby bringing us substantially closer to EU membership.

We will carefully study the enlargement document and plan future steps, considering the best interests of Georgian farmers, entrepreneurs, and our citizens. Georgia has closely cooperated with the EC in analyzing each field over recent years, and we are ready to actively cooperate with relevant EU institutions for the same purpose in the future”, - writes Shalva Papuashvili.