The adoption of the Georgian version of the law on foreign agents would be an unfavorable development for Georgia and its people, and will run counter to Tbilisi’s EU membership aspirations, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in a statement, TASS reports.
"On Tuesday, the Georgian Parliament adopted the new law on 'transparency of foreign influence' in a first reading. This is a very bad development for Georgia and its people," the EU foreign policy chief said on Tuesday. "This law is incompatible with EU values and standards. It goes against Georgia’s stated objective of joining the European Union."
He also urged to respect "the right of people to a peaceful protest."
In Borrell’s opinion, "the law in its current form risks having a chilling effect on civil society and media organizations, with negative consequences for the many Georgians."
The EU foreign policy chief also warned that the bill’s "final adoption may have serious repercussions on our relations."
In February, the Georgian parliament registered two versions of the foreign agents bill, namely a Georgian iteration and an American one, the latter being a translation of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act. Under the Georgian version, a foreign agent is defined as a legal entity, including a media outlet, that receives more than 20% of its financing from foreign sources. The bill would not apply to individuals, whereas the US version applies to both legal entities and individuals, and stipulates criminal liability.
The initiative to enshrine the concept of foreign agents in law has given rise to serious criticism by both Georgia’s opposition and Western politicians. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili promised to veto the bill if it is passed, whereas its initiators, the Power of the People public movement and the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, contend that the law is needed to ensure the transparency of entities financed from abroad. They plan to refer the bill to the Venice Commission after it passes in the first reading.
On June 23, the European Union summit granted the candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova but postponed such decision in respect of Georgia, saying that a number of criteria are yet to be met. According to some experts, the denial was due to Georgia’s reluctance to join Europe’s collective anti-Russian sanctions.
