According to information issued by the President of Georgia’s administration, President Salome Zourabichvili has approved amendments to two laws relating to two of the country’s most vital areas – the medical sector and the protection of intellectual property.

“Considering the challenges and new demands confronting each of these sectors, the President chose not to exercise the veto, even though amendments to both laws raise some concerns.

Changes to the Health Protection Law are intended to eliminate potential health and safety concerns in the sector while also improving quality control. These aims are laudable and essential, but growing and tighter supervision may impede activity.

Unscheduled inspections without prior court clearance, as well as frequently scheduled inspections, enable administrative supervision with some influence over the sector if needed. As a result, it is crucial to pay attention to the conditions under which these new procedures will be implemented, so that the law is not applied selectively and revisions do not jeopardize the health sector’s comprehensive and autonomous functioning,” the administration stated.

“Considering reforms in copyright, we can assume that their adoption will bring our laws closer to European norms, therefore improving copyright protection.

But, as a result of the changes, there is a risk and likelihood that such an organization, which will be directly subservient to the Russian parent company, would have a monopolistic position in this field, as has occurred in other countries.

This approach carries significant risks for the country: it may be used by Russia to bolster its “soft power” and influence the creative and intellectual sectors, which, in theory, should be as free and unbiased as possible while controlling financial levers.

Hence, upon the entry into force of this law, the authors of the amendments, the government, and the supporters of these changes bear a huge responsibility for avoiding all of these threats,” the presidential administration said in a statement.

Furthermore, the presidential administration claims that the President is willing to work with representatives from the sector and society in both directions.