Several non-governmental organizations released a joint statement to confirm readiness to involve in the timely and complete fulfilment of the 12-point recommendations proposed by the European Commission as the precondition for granting Georgia the EU candidate status.

The NGOs tag the EU candidate status as a decisive and priority issue for Georgia, saying the government, opposition and civic sector should direct their efforts to reach the target.

“We believe that today, at a turning point for the country, the only priority is to obtain the status of a member state of the European Union at the end of the year. With the view to achieving the goal, it is necessary to implement the recommendations set by the European Commission in a timely and comprehensive manner. Therefore, all the efforts of the government, opposition, and civil society should be aimed at reaching this goal. While some differing views may emerge along the path to the goal, some of the priorities highlighted in the recommendations leave no room for further interpretation.

The tenth priority, mentioned in the European Commission’s recommendations, requires the effective participation of civil society in the decision-making process at all levels. At the initiative of the government, the Speaker of the Parliament assumed responsibility for the coordination and effective involvement of civil organizations. For many years we have been working on the issues mentioned in the recommendations of the European Commission. Our case studies, reports, visions, and opinions developed as a result of observation will significantly contribute to the proper management of reforms and changes, taking into account the needs of Georgia.

We, the undersigned signatory organizations, confirm our readiness to participate in the process of implementing the twelve-priority plan developed by the European Commission and appeal to the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia to arrange a working meeting as soon as possible with civil organizations in order to exchange views on the format of involvement of civil society in the process and the procedure for further work,” reads the statement.

Democracy Index – Georgia, Democracy Research Institute (DRI), Georgian Court Watch, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and Media Ombudsman are the joint statement’s signatories.