Peter Stano, Lead Spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, says “The adoption of this law [on Transparency of Foreign Influence] is moving Georgia away from its stated objective to get closer to the European Union.”

During the EC Midday press briefing, Stano noted that “this law is not in line with European values and European expectations.”

“We are supporting the people. And I think the decision of the European Council, meaning member states to grant the Georgia candidate status was also reflecting on the huge commitment of the Georgian population to European values and their clear will to get closer to the European Union and not further away as the adoption of this law indicates because High Representative Borrell and Commissioner Várhelyi, together with other member states of the European Union, were very clear.

The adoption of this law is moving Georgia away from its stated objective to get closer to the European Union. It was discussed among the foreign ministers during the last Foreign Affairs Council last Monday in Luxembourg.

We were very clear when it comes to this law that this is a law which is not in line with European values, which is not in line with European expectations, and which is, a law that, when finally adopted, can actually act counter the ambition of Georgia to get closer to the European Union.

So we are obviously interacting with the partners on the ground, meaning the government and parliamentarians, to make it very clear what’s wrong with this law and what would be the negative consequences of the law. First of all, on the NGOs, on the media, on the civil society in Georgia, and secondly, what would be the consequences on Georgia’s stated aim to progress on its EU accession path.

You know, the European Commission is doing the appraisal, the so-called reports in the usual enlargement package in autumn. All these things are being reflected there. And like with any other candidate country, if there is no progress on certain issues or if there is backsliding then this is influencing the overall approach and overall progress of the country to achieve the stated priority of the population and of the government to get closer to the EU,” he stated.