The European Union has reacted to the entry into force on Saturday of the Georgian law on the registration of “foreign agents”, calling it “a serious step backwards for democracy”. In a joint statement, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Enlargement Martha Kos stressed that the document threatens freedom of speech, independent media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
According to Kallas and Kos, the new act follows recent restrictive laws on broadcasting and grants and constitutes “yet another aggressive initiative by the Georgian authorities” to suppress dissent, expand state control and narrow the space for civil society. The appeal notes that such repressive actions “threaten the very survival of Georgia’s democratic foundations” and undermine “the future of its citizens in a free and open society”.
Kallas and Kos will recall that in June and October 2024, the European Council had already called on Tbilisi to refrain from such initiatives, as they “undermine Georgia’s path to the EU”. Due to the unacceptability of the new norms, Brussels has effectively suspended the integration process, and now Tbilisi can return to negotiations only if it takes “convincing steps in favour of restoring democratic standards”.
“The accession process has been de facto halted,” the statement reads, “The EU calls on the Georgian authorities to listen to the demands of its citizens for democracy and a European future, and to release all unjustly detained journalists, activists, protesters and political leaders.
The Law on Registration of Foreign Agents provides for mass registration of NGOs, media and activists receiving funding from abroad, strict reporting on the sources of funds, annual financial declarations and control by the Anti-Corruption Bureau. Even then, NGOs warned that the document would become a tool for persecuting independent organisations: “The Association of Young Lawyers, together with Studio Monitor and Georgian News, filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court of Georgia to challenge the law.
On 31 May, when the law came into force, protests continued across the country. People are demanding the abolition of repressive regulations, the resignation of officials, and early parliamentary elections, accusing the Georgian Dream government of putting pressure on freedom of speech and human rights defenders.
“The responsibility for these steps lies solely with the Georgian authorities,” Kallas and Kos concluded, “The EU is ready to consider Georgia’s return to accession talks, provided that it actually resumes its democratic trajectory.
