On Monday 24 June, the foreign ministers of the countries of the European Union discussed the measures they might take in response to Georgia’s setback on its European path, some of which could be taken immediately, warned the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
At the end of the Foreign Affairs Council, Mr Borrell explained that, according to all the Member States except Hungary, the ‘law on the transparency of foreign influence’ was keeping Georgia out of the EU. But these government initiatives run counter to the will of the vast majority of the population, he noted.
“The door to Georgia’s membership of the European Union is open. But if the government continues on the same path, continues to do what it is doing, this door will be closed. And the Georgian people will pay the consequences, suffering from the fact that the European perspective will be diminished or even cancelled”, warned the EU High Representative.
“There will be no step forward towards the EU if the government does not back down on the law on the transparency of foreign influence”, Estonian minister Margus Tsahkna had explained earlier.
The High Representative explained that measures could be taken, while making it clear that he did not want to affect civilians. “If necessary, we will lower the level of political representation and contacts, freeze financial assistance and reconsider support via the ‘European Peace Facility’”, he detailed, adding that these measures did not require unanimity from the Member States. “This can be done immediately, but we can continue to monitor the situation and take action if it deteriorates further”, added Mr Borrell. The EU could also strengthen its support for civil society and the media, and step up the fight against disinformation targeting the Union.
The Finnish minister, Elina Valtonen, and Mr Tsahkna have proposed making it more difficult for Georgian officials to visit the EU.
The situation in Georgia will be discussed by European leaders on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 June. According to draft conclusions obtained by Agence Europe, the European Council is expected to express its “serious concern” at recent developments and consider that the law adopted on the transparency of foreign influence “represents backsliding on the steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation for candidate status”. “The European Council calls on Georgia’s authorities to clarify their intentions by reversing the current course of action which jeopardises Georgia’s EU path”, states the draft text.
See the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/csf (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Mathieu Bion)