The spokesman of the European External Action Service (EEAS) denounced, on Friday 13 December, the appointment by the Georgian Parliament of 14 of the 20 members of the Supreme Court the previous day, following a selection procedure that failed to comply with all the recommendations made by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe and which was characterised by "major deficiencies".
In a statement, the spokesperson highlights "a lack of transparency that hinders a truly merit-based appointment process", adding that a number of appointed candidates do not enjoy the general public's trust, "as was evident during the selection process".
"While the hearings held in Parliament were transparent, additional efforts should have been made to justify the choice of candidates before the final vote", the spokesman explained.
He hoped that before any further appointments, a review of the selection procedures would be carried out in order to take full account of the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the shortcomings identified by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
The EEAS spokesman recalled that Georgia's commitment to the highest standards of ethics and integrity in its judicial system remains essential for the advancement of the EU-Georgia agenda. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)