Joint Committee on European Union Affairs calls on EU to set out clear pathway for Georgia to join the EU

This report summarises the engagements undertaken by the delegation on the visit, including a visit to the Administrative Boundary Line with South Ossetia, high level meetings with officials, Ministers, and members of the Georgian Parliament, and informal briefings and engagements with representatives of opposition parties, NGOs, the EU delegation to Georgia, and civil society organisations.

The report also presents a number of conclusions arising from the lessons learned from the visit.

This visit follows a previous visit in April 2022 to Moldova and Romania. On foot of this invasion, the Committee has endeavoured to examine the impacts of the war on the EU, and on the EU member states and Eastern neighbourhood states most affected by the war.

In this regard, the Committee agreed to send a cross-party delegation to Georgia on a fact-finding mission, on the invitation of the Chairperson of the Georgian Parliament European Integration Committee, Maka Botchorishvili.

The report also presents a number of conclusions arising from the lessons learned from the visit which could be applied to Ireland.

Launching the report, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Joe McHugh said: “The Committee has viewed with alarm the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, an event with significant implications for the EU across a wide range of sectors, not least humanitarian issues, EU enlargement, commodity security, and the EU’s place in the world.”

“This visit allowed the Committee to develop its understanding of Georgia’s EU membership application, the wider role of the EU in the region, and most importantly to hear Georgian voices. The visit coincided with the European Council’s consideration of the European Commission opinion on Georgia’s application for EU membership, which recommended that Georgia be granted the status of a European Perspective.

“These conclusions address themes including the importance of giving Georgia a realistic and tangible path towards EU membership, the need for more detail regarding some of the conditions set by the Council regarding Georgian candidacy, and the importance of ensuring that the awarding of candidacy status to Ukraine and Moldova does not result in Georgia’s candidacy being neglected.”

The report makes the following conclusions and can be read in full on the Committee's webpage.

- The delegation warmly welcomes Georgia’s application for EU membership and believes it should be embraced as a member of the European political family.

- The delegation views the awarding of European Perspective status as a historic step forward that provides a roadmap towards candidate status for Georgia. The delegation calls on all sides to engage constructively on the twelve areas for reform identified in the Council decision.

- Georgia should be afforded all possible support in achieving the necessary reforms identified in the Council decision. In particular, the EU should provide further clarity and better-defined benchmarks regarding the progress expected in areas including political polarisation, deoligarchisation, and LGBT rights.

- Georgia should be offered a realistic, tangible, and well-defined path towards candidate status that is firmly based on the twelve priority areas identified in the Council decision.

Read the report in full on the Committee's webpage.