Borrell threatens Georgia with problems with EU accession due to law on foreign agents
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Georgia may face problems in its accession to the European Union due to the adoption of a controversial foreign agent law, according to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
In addition to Borrell, the European Union's Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, also reacted to adopting the foreign agents law in Georgia.
"Today, the Georgian Parliament passed the "transparency of foreign influence" law in its first reading, despite repeated calls by the European Union to retract such legislation, and despite the mass protests," the EU representatives said in the statement.
They called this process a very alarming event, and according to them, the final adoption of this law will negatively affect Georgia's progress on the path to the EU. This law does not conform to the basic norms and values of the European Union.
Georgia should refrain from this law
The EU noted that Georgia has an active civil society that contributes to the successful advancement of the country towards EU membership.
"The proposed legislation would limit the capacity of civil society and media organizations to operate freely, could limit freedom of expression, and unfairly stigmatize organizations that deliver benefits to the citizens of Georgia," representatives of the European Union said.
The EU urged Georgia to refrain from adopting laws that could jeopardize the country's path to the European Union.
Background
Earlier, similar attempts were made in the country to adopt a law allowing the government to control certain media outlets and force them to register in a special registry. However, due to protests, the authorities decided to abandon this initiative.
Today, the Georgian parliament adopted a controversial foreign agent bill, which has already caused another wave of protests and rallies in the country.
A similar law exists in Russia and is actively used to suppress dissent against the authorities' actions.
