Opening statement by H.E. Paweł Herczynski, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia at the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee meeting – 21/09/22

Opening statement by H.E. Paweł Herczynski, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia at the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee meeting - 21/09/22

State of play of EU-Georgia relations

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Thank you Madam Chair,

It is a great pleasure for me to address the Parliamentary Association Committee today. This meeting follows the historic decision of the European Council recognising the European perspective of Georgia last June. As High Representative put it two weeks ago at the Association Council meeting in Brussels: "Georgia is now firmly on a European path".

And of course, on this path, much work is foreseen to take place in this Parliament, including onthe 12 priorities identified by the European Commission and confirmed by the European Council in June. So it is very fitting for me to deliver my first statement as the new EU Ambassador to Georgia within this Institution and in the presence of Members of both the Georgian and European Parliaments.

Let me immediately recall that this meeting takes place in the context of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, which is a threat to the international rules based order and is having massive negative repercussions on the global economy at the time of COVID-19 recovery, on energy prices and on food security, and the many topics on your agenda today.It is important that we stand together in rising to these challenges.

And indeed, we do. We are friends and partners. The European Union stands firmly by Georgia and fully supports its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. We want peace in Georgia and the region. Our commitment is very concrete, including through the work of our Special Representative [Toivo Klaar] and our civilian Monitoring Mission [EUMM, led by Marek Szczygieł].

Our close relations are also shown through the amount of very tangible support to many sectors - small and medium-sized enterprises, to the health sector, to projects aimed at increasing digital, energy or transport links, among many others. And we are currently working on the Eastern Partnership Economic and Investment Plan and the implementation of the flagships in Georgia. But as Commissioner Várhelyi reminded: "to fully deliver on this potential, a supportive investment climate with legal certainty is essential".

In terms of the most recent development in our EU-Georgia relations, the European perspective given to Georgia is a clear proof of the European Union's commitment to further strengthen these relations. This is also what the vast majority of Georgian citizens expect - and we can only be greatly encouraged by the high level of citizens' support to a European future for Georgia.

The path is clear: to continue with important reforms, especially on the 12 priorities. Yes, this requires legislation - some is already ongoing in Parliament. But addressing the 12 priorities is not only about passing legislation. Equally, if not more important: (1) the process (how the legislation is drawn up / how inclusive), (2) the content of the legislation and (3) its implementation.

First, on the process, this is a responsibility for all political parties - both ruling party and opposition parties to engage on what is of a strategic nature for Georgia. We all know the challenges posed by the deep polarisation in Georgia - and tackling this is priority #1. Finding a space to engage, in this Parliament, is essential for the democratic process and the reform efforts. Of course, for this engagement to be meaningful, it is also up to the ruling party to be genuinely inclusive of both opposition and civil society, to be open to their ideas and eventually include some of them as part of the legislative process. There is a significant opportunity for this to happen in the upcoming meetings of the parliamentary committees. And today within this Committee, bringing together ruling party and opposition MPs, together with European Parliamentarians, it is also an excellent opportunity to explore the opportunities and best practices of cross-party cooperation, the European way!

Secondly, on the content, it is key to actually address the objectives of 12 priorities in line with European standards. In this respect, there is already much detail in the EU-Georgia Association Agenda adopted a few weeks ago - it contains mutually agreed reforms in all areas of our cooperation, including on elections and the judiciary - which are priorities #2 and #3. Also, partner organisations such as the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's Venice Commission are willing to provide further support on the detail of the reforms, with their expertise. These are reference organisations for the EU and their recommendations can be particularly helpful for legislation that may be the subject of high political debate - such as on "deoligarchisation" (priority #5).

Finally, on implementation, this is a point the European Union regularly makes, notably in the context of the EU enlargement policy. Adopting legislation is just the beginning. As HRVP Borrell stated two weeks ago, "the European Union accession is a merit-based process" and "only visible and tangible progress in reforms can drive this process forward". So full implementation of the reforms adopted really is part of the path towards the EU.

Georgia has committed itself to a very ambitious and challenging agenda. This must be a Georgia-driven exercise: this undertaking belongs to you and the process is fully in your hands. And you are not alone - the European Union remains available to help. You can count on us, including myself and the team at the EU Delegation, to tirelessly work on supporting the reform efforts in Georgia, particularly on the 12 priorities, for the benefit of EU-Georgia relations and - even more importantly - for the benefit of the future of all Georgian citizens.

I wish you a very successful day of exchanges as part of this Parliamentary Association Committee and I look forward to our future cooperation during my tenure here in Georgia.

Thank you Madam Chair.