On the 2025 Commission report on Georgia

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the 2025 Commission report on Georgia

(2025/2257(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Georgia 2025 Report’ (SWD(2025)0757),

– having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part1,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2025 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 as regards the revision of the suspension mechanism2,

– having regard to Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which requires that all possible measures be taken to ensure Georgia’s full integration into the EU and NATO,

– having regard to the Council Presidency conclusions of 16 December 2025 on enlargement,

– having regard to the opinion on the Law on the Registration of Foreign Agents, the amendments to the Law on Grants and other Laws relating to ‘foreign influence’, adopted by the Venice Commission on 9 to 10 October 2025,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2026),

A. whereas the Commission considers Georgia a candidate country in name only, following the European Council conclusions of 19 December 2024, which found that the Georgian Government’s actions have de facto led to a halt in the pre-accession process, and in the light of Georgia’s continued backsliding on the fundamentals since then;

B. whereas Commissioner Marta Kos described the Commission’s 2025 Georgia report as ‘the worst report ever prepared for a candidate country’;

C. whereas the situation in Georgia has continued to deteriorate dramatically, with further backsliding in democracy, human rights and rule of law due to the actions of Georgian Dream;

D. whereas protests against the actions of Georgian Dream have continued since 28 November 2024, despite violence against participants, their imprisonment and the introduction of increasingly draconian punishments for participation;

E. whereas eight opposition politicians were sentenced to seven to eight months in prison and banned from holding public office for two years for refusing to appear before the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia;

F. whereas Mzia Amaglobeli was awarded the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament, together with Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus;

Suspension of Georgia’s EU integration

1. Expresses its full solidarity with the Georgian people, who continue their struggle for a European and democratic Georgia in the face of democratic backsliding, growing repression, relentless hostile rhetoric, disinformation and threats;

2. Notes with deep disappointment that Georgian Dream has not only suspended but effectively reversed Georgia’s course of European integration; regrets the fact that there has been backsliding in the implementation of all nine priorities that were the conditions for granting Georgia candidate status; highlights the absurdity of the claims by Georgian Dream that EU integration remains the main priority, while at the same time its highest officials and government-affiliated media run an orchestrated and systematic campaign spreading manipulative narratives, disinformation and conspiracy theories against the EU, its officials and diplomats;

3. Deplores the fact that, since the rigged October 2024 parliamentary elections, Georgian Dream has further intensified its trajectory towards full authoritarianism; is dismayed at the rapid dismantling of Georgia’s democratic foundations through targeted attacks against its democratic institutions, fundamental freedoms and democratic pluralism; shares the Commission’s assessment that crucial institutions lack impartiality and independence;

4. Stresses that targeted personal sanctions imposed by the EU and its Member States against Bidzina Ivanishvili, key Georgian Dream leaders, judges, prosecutors and other officials responsible for the continuous democratic backsliding in Georgia, electoral fraud, human rights violations and the persecution of political opponents and activists are an important instrument against impunity; welcomes the fact that, in the absence of unanimity at EU level, an increasing number of Member States have introduced individual sanctions against Georgian officials; urges other Member States to follow suit;

Continued backsliding on democracy and the rule of law and the autocratic consolidation of power

5. Regrets that Georgian Dream has not taken any steps to create an opening for a dialogue with the EU; considers it impossible to engage with the Georgian authorities until there is a clear reversal of their current course of repression, restrictions and fierce anti-EU disinformation; calls on the Member States to maintain a united and coordinated approach regarding contacts with the Georgian authorities; condemns the relentless aggressive rhetoric against the EU and Member States’ diplomats, politicians and officials;

6. Points out that the municipal elections of 4 October 2025 were boycotted by the majority of the opposition parties; regrets that the amendments to Georgia’s Electoral Code further strengthened the dominance of the ruling party and introduced new restrictions on registration for local observers, media and electoral subjects; stresses that the lack of observation from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)/the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights due to a late invitation and from local observer organisations due to repression against them seriously affects the transparency of the electoral process and the credibility of its results;

7. Condemns the adoption of increasingly restrictive legislation that aims to make it practically impossible for international financial support to reach civil society and media; highlights the most recent amendments to the Law on Grants announced on 28 January 2026, which significantly broaden the scope of what is considered a ‘grant’ and make receiving grants or funding from abroad without prior government authorisation a criminal offence punishable by up to six years’ imprisonment;

8. Is concerned that Georgian Dream has already adopted a number of legislative acts that aim to stifle civil society and independent media; reiterates its call to release all political prisoners and other illegally detained persons without delay; warns that the Georgian Government’s efforts to transform Georgia’s vibrant civil society into a tightly controlled environment of government-aligned organisations constitute a further step towards becoming an authoritarian regime; calls on the Georgian authorities to repeal these legislative acts as a tangible step back towards its EU path;

9. Deplores the continued attempts by the ruling Georgian Dream party to persecute political opponents, including through illegal arrest and detention, threats and physical attacks; condemns the imprisonment of political opponents for refusing to appear before the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Parliament of Georgia; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all opposition politicians imprisoned on political grounds;

10. Expresses deep concern over the constitutional lawsuit filed by 88 Members of the Georgian Parliament, requesting that the activities of three major opposition parties – United National Movement, Coalition for Change and the Strong Georgia-Lelo coalition – be declared unconstitutional and that their registration be revoked;

11. Welcomes the activation of the Moscow Mechanism by the OSCE at the initiative of 24 member countries, which opens the opportunity to send an expert mission to assess Georgia’s implementation of OSCE commitments; calls on the Georgian authorities to fully cooperate with the expert mission;

12. Notes the Commission’s proposal to suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports across all EU Member States, as a direct consequence of the Georgian Dream regime’s actions in breach of fundamental values; regrets that EU-wide visa bans for Georgian officials responsible for democratic backsliding and repression have not been possible due to opposition from Hungary and Slovakia; warns that continued inaction by the Georgian authorities could lead to the suspension of visa-free travel for the entire population, for which Georgian Dream would be fully responsible;

Alignment on foreign policy matters

13. Regrets that the level of Georgia’s alignment with statements by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and with Council decisions on sanctions has further decreased to 40 %; is particularly disappointed that Georgia did not systematically align with international and EU initiatives in support of Ukraine;

14. Notes that Georgia has still not aligned with the vast majority of sanctions against Russia, Belarus and Iran; calls on the Georgian authorities to strengthen cooperation to prevent the territory of Georgia and/or legal entities registered in Georgia from being used to circumvent EU restrictive measures;

15. Notes that, having abandoned the path of Euro-Atlantic integration, Georgian Dream is making a strategic turn towards cooperation with China, Russia and Iran;

16. Reiterates its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of Russia’s ongoing occupation of Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and the continued ‘borderisation’ process, which constitutes a violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity;

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17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili and the de facto authorities of Georgia.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This is the second report on Georgia as an EU candidate country, taking into account the 2025 Commission report on Georgia. The report focuses the European Parliament’s main concerns regarding the state of democracy, rule of law and the European integration of Georgia.

The report reflects the fact that democratic backsliding in Georgia further intensified since the last report. There has been backsliding in the implementation of all nine priorities, which were the condition for granting Georgia candidate status. The ruling Georgian Dream party continues its orchestrated and systematic campaign against the EU, its officials and diplomats, using manipulative narratives, disinformation and conspiracy theories. Political opponents have been imprisoned or face threats and physical attacks. Activities of Georgia’s civil society and independent media are being stifled with increasingly repressive legislation, particularly the most recent amendments to the Law on Grants, which criminalise receiving foreign funding without prior government approval. Hundreds of civil society activists have faced physical violence and intimidation, while dozens have been arrested and imprisoned on political grounds.

The report supports targeted EU and Member State sanctions against Georgian Dream leadership and key officials, welcomes the activation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism to assess compliance with Georgia’s democratic commitments, and notes the EU’s suspension of visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and official passports.

The diminishing alignment with statements by the High Representative on behalf of the EU and Council decisions on sanctions and increasing cooperation with China, Russia and Iran further confirm Georgia’s turn away from its path of Euro-Atlantic integration.

In this negative environment, it is more than ever important to support the Georgian people, who continue their struggle for a European and democratic Georgia.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register1, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.