Member States and EU candidate countries, such as Georgia, must ensure that the rules and procedures to provide justice are human rights-based and comply with EU acquis, the Fundamental Rights Charter, and international standards. This requires a firm commitment to eliminating external influences over the judiciary and to devoting adequate financial resources and training. Legal guarantees for fair trial procedures must be in place.

The EU stands side by side with Georgia to ensure that Rule of Law principles and standards are respected and complied with. The EU is fully committed to assist Georgia in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its justice system and implement reforms as recommended in the EU enlargement report. EU support focused on enhancing capacities in crime prevention, juvenile justice as well as probation, and penitentiary systems.

The EU will continue to support to the strengthening of the juvenile justice system, the fight against gender and domestic-based violence, the promotion of restorative justice and non-custodial measures, as well as improving access to court rulings.

As an EU candidate country, Georgia is expected to continuously and proactively work towards a greater alignment with our shared values and EU policy on minority rights and the freedom of assembly and speech for all, including vulnerable groups. Improving the protection of human rights is one of the 9 steps for Georgia to fulfil to move to the next phase of the enlargement process. As such, the EU will not only maintain but also strengthen its focus on human rights related issues as Georgia continues on its EU path.

The EU will continue to work closely with the civil society, the Georgian government, and other international institutions to ensure that Georgia upholds its commitment to the international human rights conventions that Georgia has ratified. This includes assisting the Georgian government in fully implementing its human rights action plan for 2023 – 2030 and continuing to advocate for a stronger focus on key areas such as the protection of rights of minorities and vulnerable groups.

The EU has been actively involved in conflict resolution efforts, including through the work of EU Special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia and the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), which has been present on the ground since 2008.

Georgia’s EU future cannot and will not be taken hostage by the conflict. All the efforts have to be undertaken so that the whole population of Georgia can benefit from the EU integration process.

More opportunities for de-isolation and contacts between communities, including more structured contacts with civil society organisations from the occupied breakaway regions need to be created. We remain convinced that strengthening further democracy and the rule of law in Georgia as part of the path towards EU membership will inevitably make Georgia attractive for the people in the occupied breakaway regions. It is our common responsibility to ensure that the benefits that come with the EU accession process are made known and appealing to the populations in Georgia’s occupied breakaway regions.

If Georgia were to join the Schengen area, crossing the air or sea borders with the other Schengen Area countries would not require any border crossing checks. That is, one could take a flight from Tbilisi to Lisbon or a boat from Poti to Varna, without having their passport checked.

However, before joining the Schengen area, Georgia would be required to align to the Area’s common rules. In particular, this would affect Georgia’s non-EU land borders as these would become the EU external borders.

The requirements would concern the crossing of the EU external borders, including visa checks, harmonisation of the conditions of entry, cross-border police cooperation, and stronger judicial cooperation through a faster extradition system and the transfer of enforcement of criminal judgments.

The new batch of buses facilitates easier access for passengers including those with limited movement, such as the elderly and the disabled.

Georgia has benefitted from substantial EU support to modernise its transport systems and make them more sustainable. This includes the provision of a fleet of new electric buses in Tbilisi and Batumi, which meet high technical standards and a high level of safety and reliability in operation, ensuring the comfort of passengers. The new batch of buses facilitates easier access for passengers including those with limited movement, such as the elderly and the disabled.

The EU has also provided technical assistance to the development of rail transport, including the gradual alignment of its legislation and the Georgian railway sector with the relevant EU standards and regulations in terms of accessibility.
Together with the German development bank, KfW, the EU is planning to work on the establishment of an Intelligent Transport System as well as other infrastructure for sustainable transport, including priority bus lanes and accessible pedestrian infrastructures.

The EU is a long-standing partner of Georgia in the education sector. Georgia has been benefitting from the EU Erasmus+ programme offering International Credit Mobility, Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, Capacity Building in Higher Education, Jean Monnet activities. Students can apply via their home university for a grant for short-term credit mobility of 2 to 12 months or enrol as a self-financing student in the Erasmus Mundus joint master’s programmes.

With the candidate status, the European Commission will support Georgia to align its education system with the EU practices and recommendations to prepare Georgian students to be tomorrow’s EU citizens. For example, Georgia will participate in the Eurydice Network allowing Georgia to learn about the organisation and functioning of the education systems in the EU Member States. Moreover, Georgia has recently been invited to nominate representatives to participate in the working groups under the European Education Area.

Since 2007, the EU has also been actively supporting the Georgian government reform the vocational education and training system, modernising the content of the programmes, creating partnerships with employers, informing citizens on the opportunities available, and creating new ones. Thousands of people, notably vulnerable women and men in Georgia’s regions, have reaped benefits from vocational education and lifelong learning programmes. These programmes have also equipped them with the essential skills to start their own businesses, or to enhance their current and future job prospects.

Georgia’s candidate status allows Vocational Education Training institutions, their teachers and students to participate more actively in joint initiatives and exchange good practices with other EU Member States.

Georgian citizens are already benefitting from the possibilities offered by the Creative Europe Programme, which enables organisations and artists to collaborate and co-create internationally. It also provides artists, such as ballerina Natia Bunturi, cultural mobility opportunities. The ongoing and future regional EU4Culture programmes promote intercultural dialogue and knowledge exchanges, including cultural exchanges. Cultural exchanges and as people-to-people contacts contribute to social and economic development. Georgia’s EU candidate status will continue fostering the existing EU-Georgia cultural cooperation.

In addition, the EU respects and promotes the unique culture of Georgia. This includes funding for the preservation and the development of the creative sectors. Historic cities and towns in Georgia often face challenges, which drive inhabitants to leave in search of better lives elsewhere. To improve local living conditions, the EU helps identify opportunities to transform heritage as a source for development and entrepreneurship. It is about enabling the economic potential of heritage assets through sustainable tourism and trade. For the first time, thanks to EU support, several cities in Georgia have started to work on their Cultural Development Strategies. This is a major opportunity to further

As part of the EU green deal, the EU Waste Framework Directive requires countries to adhere to waste management without endangering human health, posing risks to the environment and biodiversity, adding to noise or smell pollution, and affecting rural places disproportionately. The primary focus is on the prevention of product waste, and only then preparing for their re-use, recycling, recovery and disposal of waste. Re-use and recycling of municipal waste is set to increase gradually by 2025 over a decade with a recycling rate of 65%. This can only be achieved if businesses and consumers are producing and consuming more sustainably. It requires a systemic and proactive change from within the society and incentives to the industry.
Through regional programmes, such as EU4Environment, as well as bilateral projects on Waste Management and Circular Economy, the EU has supported initiatives to introduce circular economy tools and support waste prevention.

Through the European Financial Institutions, the EU has invested in major infrastructure such as landfills and waste treatment plants. Furthermore, the uptake of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) notion in Georgian circular economy conversations and legislation is a right step towards the alignment with the Green Deal and its Circular Economy Action Plan.

Ultimately, improving Georgia’s waste management sector not only advances the country’s bid for an EU future, but also improves the livelihood of its population, creates a durable economy, and protects the country’s biodiversity.