“Georgia is a clear reminder that setbacks on the EU path can happen. A candidate status doesn’t automatically mean the way forward,” said Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, addressing the extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee, where she spoke about the significance of EU enlargement and the process of candidate countries on the EU integration path.

“The situation in Georgia. Thank you to all of you there, Rasa, who are engaging a lot in the contacts with the civil society. Georgia is a clear reminder that setbacks on the EU path can happen, that once we start giving a country candidate status, it doesn’t automatically mean that the way forward with the EU will happen. While thousands march with EU flags, the authorities are moving in the opposite direction,” she said.

According to Marta Kos, Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act” marks a serious setback for the country’s democracy.”

“Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act marks a serious setback for the country’s democracy. Alongside recent laws on broadcasting and grants, it threatens the various survivors of Georgia’s democratic foundations.

In our joint statement published last week, Kallas and I called on the Georgian authorities to hear their citizens’ clear demands for democracy and the European future, and to release all unjustly detained journalists, activist protesters and political leaders, and we will do this again and again.

The responsibility lies solely with the Georgian authorities. We should consider the return of Georgia to the EU accession path only if the authorities take credible steps to reverse the democratic backsliding. And in these times, we should really help the civil society organizations and the people of Georgia,” she stated.