This article is about accession negotiations process. For the broad perspective on relations between the European Union and Georgia, see Georgia–European Union relations.
Following an application by Georgia in March 2022, the EU established Georgia's eligibility to become a member of the Union, recognizing the country as a potential candidate. On 8 November 2023, the European Commission issued an official recommendation to grant candidate status to Georgia,[2] which was confirmed on 14 December 2023.[3]
The European Union and Georgia have maintained relations since 1992, following an agreement between the former European Community and the newly independent Georgia.[4] In April 1996, Georgia, along with Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the European Union.[5] On 12 January 2002, the European Parliament noted that Georgia may enter the EU in the future.[6] In 2006, a five-year "Action Plan" of rapprochement was implemented in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). In 2009, relations between the two were further upgraded under the auspices of Eastern Partnership.[citation needed]
In March 2013, the Parliament of Georgia passed a bipartisan resolution supporting the integration into the European Union and NATO. The resolution was drafted jointly by the two largest political parties, Georgian Dream and United National Movement, and was voted by 96 deputies.[7][8] In 2016, a comprehensive Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia went into force, providing Georgia with visa-free travel to the EU, as well as access to some sectors of the European Single Market. Following Brexit, most of the existing EU-Georgia agreements applicable to the United Kingdom were renegotiated and agreed upon in 2019 bilaterally with the United Kingdom. In January 2021, Georgia was preparing to formally apply for EU membership in 2024.[3][9] However, on 3 March 2022, Georgia submitted its membership application ahead of schedule, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[10] In June 2022, the European Commission established Georgia's eligibility to become a member of the EU, but deferred giving it official candidate status until after certain conditions were met.[11] Later that month, the European Council expressed readiness to grant Georgia the status of a candidate after completing a set of reforms recommended by the commission.[12] On 8 November 2023, the European Commission recommended giving candidate status to Georgia.[13][14][15] On 14 December 2023, Georgia was given candidate status by the EU.[16]
Following the Georgian government's approval of legislation which would require non-governmental organizations to register as foreign agents or "organizations carrying the interests of a foreign power" and disclose the sources of their income if the funds they receive from abroad amount to more than 20% of their total revenue, which led to widespread protests in the country, the European Council stated in June 2024 that this represented "backsliding on the steps set out in the Commission's recommendation for candidate status" and that the accession process would be de facto on hold until the government changes course.[17] On 9 July 2024, the EU ambassador in Georgia announced that the European Union had suspended the country's accession process as a result of the legislation.[18][19] The European Union has threatened Georgia with sanctions and suspension of relations if the country becomes a "one-party state" without political opposition following parliamentary elections in October 2024.[20]
The 2024 Georgian parliamentary elections resulted in Georgian Dream retaining power, but were disputed by opposition parties which claimed that the vote was not free and fair and was subject to widespread voter fraud. The European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution which rejected the validity of the results, and called for the vote to be repeated within a year.[21] On 28 November 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia's EU accession negotiations had been suspended until the end of 2028,[22] though he added that his government would continue to implement the reforms required for accession and that it still planned for Georgia to join the EU by 2030.[23]
To enhance their relationship, the EU and Georgia began negotiating an Association Agreement (AA) and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.[24] In November 2012, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and EnlargementStefan Fule stated that the AA negotiations could be finalized by November 2013.[25] In February 2013, Tamar Beruchachvili, the Deputy State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Georgia, stated that Georgia had no plans to join the Eurasian Economic Union,[26] which Fule has warned Ukraine would be incompatible with the agreements with the EU.[27] A ceremony on the initialling of the AA by the Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton was held at the Eastern Partnership summit on 29 November 2013.[28][29] It was formally signed on 27 June 2014,[30] and had to be ratified by the EU, Euratom, their member states and Georgia. A second agreement, governing the country's involvement in EU crisis management operations, was also signed.[31]
The Association Agreement, much of which provisionally came into force in September, has been fully ratified by Georgia and all EU member states.[32] On 18 December 2014 the European Parliament approved the Association Agreement. Members backed the treaty by 490 votes in favour to 76 against, with 57 abstentions.[33] The agreement entered into force on 1 July 2016.[32]
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The ratification was based on The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Association Agreement) (Georgia) Order 2015, made in accordance with section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972, after having been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
The agreement applied to the United Kingdom as an EU-member state until Brexit on 31 January 2020. During the transition period that followed Brexit, the agreement until 31 December 2020, the agreement still applied to the UK.
Free trade area
The agreement established a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Georgia, including "the removal of import duties for most goods traded between the EU and Georgia" and "broad mutual access to trade in services for both partners".[104]
Public opinion
A March 2023 survey conducted by the International Republican Institute found that 85% of Georgians (70% 'fully', 15% 'somewhat') were in favour of EU membership, up from 75% before the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[105] In April 2023, a nationwide poll by the International Republican Institute found that 89 percent of Georgians support joining the EU, the highest number recorded for years.[106]
22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments
Early stage
Some level of preparation†
Some level of preparation†
33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions
Early stage
Early stage
Early stage
6. External relations
30. External Relations
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
Moderately prepared
34. Institutions
-
–
35. Other Issues
-
–
Legend: Chapters in bold indicate completed chapters. † indicates chapters in which the European Commission has simultaneously awarded the chapter both "early stage" AND "some level of preparation". ‡ indicates chapters in which the European Commission has simultaneously awarded the chapter both "some level of preparation" AND "moderately prepared".
totally incompatibleearly stageconsiderable efforts neededsome level of preparationfurther efforts neededmoderately preparedno major difficulties expectedgood level of preparationwell prepared / well advanced
Economy
Georgia is expected to have to adopt the euro and become a member of the Eurozone in the future if it joins the EU.[citation needed]
Travel
Since 28 March 2017, Georgian citizens have been able to travel visa-free to the Schengen area. Starting in 2025, like all nationals from visa-exempt countries, Georgians will also need to comply with the EU's ETIAS system before entering any of the EU/Schengen member countries.[111]
Armenia: On 7 February 2024, prime minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan congratulated neighboring Georgia for obtaining EU candidate status. During an address to the National Assembly, Pashinyan stated, "Many significant realities have changed in our region, and one of those realities is the fact that Georgia has received the status of a candidate for EU membership, which has an objective impact on our region. It turns out that two of our neighboring countries have the status of a candidate for EU membership, and if before it was possible to say, where is the EU, where is our region, now the EU is actually our region, and we are aware of this fact."[114]
The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the Agreement on the European Economic Area, an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The EEA links the EU member states and three of the four EFTA states into an internal market governed by the same basic rules. These rules aim to enable free movement of persons, goods, services, and capital within the European single market, including the freedom to choose residence in any country within this area. The EEA was established on 1 January 1994 upon entry into force of the EEA Agreement. The contracting parties are the EU, its member states, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. New members of EFTA would not automatically become party to the EEA Agreement, as each EFTA State decides on its own whether it applies to be party to the EEA Agreement or not. According to Article 128 of the EEA Agreement, "any European State becoming a member of the Community shall, and the Swiss Confederation or any European State becoming a member of EFTA may, apply to become a party to this Agreement. It shall address its application to the EEA Council." EFTA does not envisage political integration. It does not issue legislation, nor does it establish a customs union. Schengen is not a part of the EEA Agreement. However, all of the four EFTA States participate in Schengen and Dublin through bilateral agreements. They all apply the provisions of the relevant Acquis.
The European Union (EU) has expanded a number of times throughout its history by way of the accession of new member states to the Union. To join the EU, a state needs to fulfil economic and political conditions called the Copenhagen criteria, which require a stable democratic government that respects the rule of law, and its corresponding freedoms and institutions. According to the Maastricht Treaty, each current member state and the European Parliament must agree to any enlargement. The process of enlargement is sometimes referred to as European integration. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of co-operation between EU member states as national governments allow for the gradual harmonisation of national laws.
Turkey is negotiating its accession to the European Union (EU) as a member state, following its application to become a full member of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor of the EU, on 14 April 1987.
A Treaty of Accession to the European Union is an intergovernmental treaty of the European Union that specifies the terms under which an applicant state becomes a member of the European Union. It represents the fundamental act to enable a state to become a member of the EU, thereby binding it to the fundamental principles of the union. In addition to the Treaty of Accession, a Final Act of Accession is signed. The Final Act registers the results of the accession negotiations, including declarations made by the parties. It also lays down arrangements for the period between signing and entry into force of the treaty.
Relations between the European Union (EU) and Moldova are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), an EU foreign policy instrument dealing with countries bordering its member states.
International relations between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine are shaped through the Ukraine–European Union Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). Ukraine is a priority partner within the Eastern Partnership and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The EU and Ukraine developed an increasingly close relationship, going beyond co-operation, to gradual economic integration and deepening of political co-operation. On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.
The Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement is the member of the European Commission in charge of overseeing the accession process of prospective new member states and relations with those bordering the European Union (EU). The present commissioner, since December 2024, is Marta Kos.
The former European Community and Georgia established relations in 1992. After the Maastricht Treaty on creation of the European Union, Georgia deepened its ties with the EU through a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed in 1996. In 2006, a five-year "Action Plan" of rapprochement was implemented in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). In 2009, relations between the two were further upgraded under the auspices of Eastern Partnership. In 2016, a comprehensive Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia went into force, providing Georgian citizens with visa-free travel to the EU, as well as access to some sectors of the European Single Market. Following Brexit, most of the existing EU-Georgia agreements applicable to the United Kingdom were renegotiated and agreed upon in 2019 bilaterally with the United Kingdom.
Albania is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the European Union (EU). It applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009, and has since June 2014 been an official candidate for accession. The Council of the European Union decided in March 2020 to open accession negotiations with Albania.
The accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union (EU) is the stated aim of the present relations between the two entities. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been recognised by the European Union as a "candidate country" for accession since the decision of the European Council in 2022 and is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Bosnia and Herzegovina takes part in the Stabilisation and Association Process and trade relations are regulated by an Interim Agreement.
Accession of Montenegro to the European Union is on the agenda for future enlargement of the EU.
Serbia applied to join the European Union (EU) in 2009 and has been a candidate for membership since 2012, along with nine other states. Serbia is the largest country in Southeast Europe seeking entry into the EU.
The accession of Kosovo to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU. Kosovo is currently recognized by the EU as a potential candidate for accession.
There are currently nine states recognized as candidates for membership of the European Union: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Kosovo formally submitted its application for membership in 2022 and is considered a potential candidate by the European Union. Due to multiple factors, talks with Turkey are at an effective standstill since December 2016.
The accession of North Macedonia to the European Union has been on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU since 2005, when it became an official candidate for accession. The then Republic of Macedonia submitted its membership application in 2004, thirteen years after its independence from Yugoslavia. It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.
On 28 February 2022, four days after it was invaded by Russia, Ukraine applied for membership of the European Union (EU). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested immediate admission under a "new special procedure", and the presidents of eight EU states called for an accelerated accession process. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stated that she supports Ukrainian accession, but that the process would take time. On 10 March 2022, the Council of the European Union asked the commission for its opinion on the application. On 8 April 2022, von der Leyen presented Zelenskyy with a legislative questionnaire, which Ukraine responded to on 9 May.
The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTA) are three free trade areas established between the European Union, and Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine respectively. The DCFTAs are part of each country's EU Association Agreement. They allow Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine access to the European Single Market in selected sectors and grant EU investors in those sectors the same regulatory environment in the associated country as in the EU. The agreements with Moldova and Georgia have been ratified and officially entered into force in July 2016, although parts of them were already provisionally applied. The agreement with Ukraine was provisionally applied since 1 January 2016 and formally entered into force on 1 September 2017.
The future enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is theoretically open to any of the post-Soviet states and potentially any country of Europe or Asia. In order to accede, a state must fulfill certain economic and political requirements. Enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is also subject to the consent of all existing members and the candidate's adoption of existing EEU laws and implementing previous decisions made by the Eurasian Economic Commission. The present agenda of the enlargement of the Eurasian Economic Union is primarily focused on Tajikistan. Meanwhile, Moldova was granted Observer Status in April 2017, followed by Uzbekistan and Cuba in December 2020. The process of enlargement is referred to as Eurasian integration or Eurasianism. This term is also used to refer to the intensification of economic cooperation between Eurasian Economic Union member states.
The accession of Moldova to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU.
Nicolae "Nicu" Popescu is a Moldovan diplomat, oligarch, and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova from 6 August 2021 until 26 January 2024 in the Gavrilita and then Recean cabinets. He was also Moldova's Foreign Minister from 11 June to 14 November 2019 in the Sandu Cabinet. Until his appointment, he was the director of the Wider Europe programme of the European Council on Foreign Relations and visiting professor at Sciences Po-Paris.
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