“I urge the political leaders of Georgia to withdraw the draft law, as was the case last year. It is clear that this legislation is incompatible with the EU norms and values,” said the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič,  about the draft law on “transparency of foreign influence” during a debate on Georgia at the European Parliament.

According to him, if the mentioned law is adopted, it will jeopardize Georgia’s progress on the EU path.

“Georgias have a future in the European Union. The candidate status, that was granted last December, brought our relations closer than ever. Our door is open. So, I urge the Georgian leaders to mirror the expectations of the citizens and not to divert the country from the EU path”, said the European Commissioner.

According to him, the work of civil society and media organizations is vital for any democracy. he pointed out, that the transparency should not be used as a tool to limit the ability of civil society to operate freely.

“The Commission stressed in the enlargement report the work that Georgia needs to undertake, in particular, the nine steps. As an EU candidate country, Georgia is expected to comply with the Copenhagen criteria, which specifically requires protecting the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Only meaningful and irreversible progress in these areas will determine the opening of EU accession negotiations and the pace of these negotiations.

The European Union urges the Georgian leaders to foster national consensus around the goal of joining the European Union. It is imperative for all political leaders to reduce polarization, and to engage positively and constructively with each other and with civil society. EU enlargement is a success when the whole country is behind this goal. It is also a strategic choice for any country that decides to embark on this path. This is a commitment to align not only with our norms but also with our values”, said the European Commissioner.