The European Parliament,
– having
regard to the ongoing negotiations between the EU and Georgia on the conclusion
of an association agreement,
– having
regard to the conclusions of the Extraordinary European Council of
1 September 2008, and the conclusions of the European Union External
Relations Council of 15 September 2008,
– having
regard to the Council conclusions on
– having
regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Georgia and
the European Union, which entered into force on 1 July 1999,
– having
regard to the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, mediated by the
EU and signed by Georgia and the Russian Federation, and the implementation
agreement of 8 September 2008,
– having
regard to the speech by Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, to the
European Parliament on 23 November 2010,
– having
regard to the Joint Declaration of the Prague Eastern Partnership Summit of
7 May 2009,
– having
regard to the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on the Eastern Partnership of
25 October 2010,
– having
regard to the Joint Communication on ‘A new response to a changing
Neighbourhood’ of 25 May 2011,
– having
regard to the joint EU-Georgia European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan,
endorsed by the EU-Georgia Cooperation Council on 14 November 2006,
laying out the strategic and specific objectives based on commitments to shared
values and effective implementation of political, economic and institutional
reforms,
– having
regard to the European Commission Progress Report on
– having regard to the EU-Georgia visa
facilitation and readmission agreements that entered into force on
1 March 2011,
– having
regard to the Joint Declaration on a Mobility Partnership between the EU and
Georgia of 30 November 2009,
– having
regard to the European Commission’s key recommendations in relation to
Georgia’s preparations for the opening of DCFTA negotiations with Georgia
issued in 2009,
– having
regard to the signature of the Agreement between the EU and Georgia on
protection of geographical indications of agricultural products and foodstuffs
of 14 July 2011,
– having
regard to the signature of the Common Aviation Area Agreement between the EU
and its
– having
regard to Special Report No 13/2010 by the European Court of Auditors
concerning the results of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument
(ENPI) in the Southern Caucasus,
– having
regard to its resolutions on Georgia of 3 September 2008[1], on the need for an EU
Strategy for the South Caucasus of 20 May 2010[2] and on the Review of
the European Neighbourhood Policy - Eastern Dimension of 7 April 2011[3],
– having
regard to Rules 90(4) and 48 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having
regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A7-0374/2011),
A. whereas
the Eastern Partnership has created a meaningful political framework for
deepening relations, accelerating political association and furthering economic
integration between the EU and Georgia, by supporting political and
socioeconomic reforms and facilitating rapprochement with the EU;
B. whereas
the Eastern Partnership provides for the strengthening of bilateral relations
by means of new association agreements, taking into account the specific
situation and ambition of each partner country and its ability to comply with
the resulting commitments;
C. whereas
the active engagement of Georgia and a commitment to shared values and
principles, including democracy, the rule of law, good governance and respect
for human rights, are essential to take the process forward and to make the
negotiation and subsequent implementation of the association agreement a
success and ensure that it has a sustainable impact on the development of the
country;
D. whereas
legal approximation is an important tool for fostering cooperation between the
EU and Georgia;
E. whereas
Georgia is one of the best-performing partners of the Eastern Partnership in
adopting reforms, although problems still persist as regards their
implementation; whereas further improvement is needed regarding reforms in the
justice system, and labour rights, women’s rights and integration of
minorities;
F. whereas
the unresolved Russia-Georgia conflict hampers the stability and development of
Georgia; whereas Russia continues to occupy the Georgian regions of Abkhazia
and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, in violation of the fundamental norms
and principles of international law; whereas ethnic cleansing and forcible
demographic changes have taken place in the areas under the effective control
of the occupying force, which bears the responsibility for human rights violations
in these areas;
G. whereas,
in its Joint Communication on ‘A new response to a changing Neighbourhood’, the
EU stated its ambition to engage more proactively in conflict resolution;
whereas the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) is carrying out an important role on
the ground and the EU Special Representative for South Caucasus and the Crisis
in Georgia is co-chairing the Geneva talks; whereas these talks have yielded
little result to date;
H. whereas
the EU stresses the right of Georgia to join any international organisation or
alliance, while respecting international law, and reiterating its firm belief
in the principle that no third country has a veto over the sovereign decision
of another country to join any international organisation or alliance or the right
to destabilise a democratically elected government;
I. whereas
the negotiations with Georgia on the Association Agreement are progressing
swiftly, but nevertheless negotiations on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Area (DCFTA) have not yet begun;
1. Addresses,
in the context of the ongoing negotiations on the Association Agreement, the
following recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS:
(a) ensure
that the negotiations with
(b) ensure
as well that the Association Agreement is a comprehensive and forward-looking
framework for the further development of relations with
Political
dialogue and cooperation
(c) recognise
Georgia as a European state and Georgian aspirations, including those founded
on Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, and base the EU’s commitment and
ongoing negotiations with Georgia on a European perspective, considered as a valuable lever for
implementation of reforms and a necessary catalyst for public support for these
reforms which could
further strengthen Georgia’s commitment to shared values and the principles of
democracy, the rule of law, human rights and good governance;
(d) strengthen
the EU’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and
ensure the applicability of the agreement, once it has been concluded, to the
whole territory of Georgia; to that end, continue actively engaging in conflict
resolution, inter alia thanks to the EUMM, whose mandate has recently been extended
until 15 September 2012;
(e) stress
the need for the safe and dignified return of all internally-displaced persons
and refugees to their places of permanent residence and the unacceptability of
the forced demographic changes;
(f) emphasise
the importance of inter-ethnic and religious tolerance; welcome recent law
adopted by the Georgian Parliament on the registration of religious
organisations and affirmative action measures adopted by the Georgian
Government in the field of education, aiming at a better integration of
national minorities;
(g) recognise
(h) intensify
talks with the Russian Federation to ensure that it fulfils unconditionally all
the provisions of the cease-fire agreement of 12 August 2008 between Russia and
Georgia, particularly the provision stating that Russia shall guarantee EUMM
full unlimited access to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and the
Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia; underscore the necessity of providing
stability in the aforementioned regions of Georgia;
(i) call
on Russia to reverse its recognition of the separation of the Georgian regions
of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, to end the occupation of
those Georgian territories and to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Georgia as well as the inviolability of its
internationally-recognised borders as provided for by international law, the UN
Charter, the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation
in Europe and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions;
(j) welcome
the unilateral commitment by Georgia not to use force to restore control over
the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as declared by President Saakashvili
to the European Parliament on 23 November 2010 and call upon Russia to
reciprocate the commitment to the non-use of force against Georgia; welcome
Georgia’s Strategy on Occupied
(k) welcome
the agreement reached between the governments of
(l) call
on Georgia and Russia to engage in direct talks, without preconditions, on a
range of subjects, with mediation, if needed, by a mutually acceptable third
party, which should complement, not replace, the existing Geneva process;
(m) express
concern over the terrorist attacks in Georgia since last year and call on
Georgia and Russia to cooperate in investigation of the above-mentioned
terrorist attacks; urge Georgia and Russia to de-escalate rhetoric about
bombings and support for terrorism in order to create a climate of trust in
conducting these investigations;
(n) welcome
the agreement reached between
Justice,
freedom and security
(o) welcome
the significant progress made by Georgia in the areas of democratic reforms,
including strengthening democratic institutions, particularly the Ombudsman’s
Office, the fight against corruption and the reform of the judiciary, as well
as of economic reforms and liberalisation; congratulate Georgia on reducing overall
and especially serious crime rates in the country;
(p) call
for the Georgian Government to enter more extensively into a constructive
political dialogue with opposition forces and further develop a democratic
environment for freedom of speech, especially the accessibility of public media
for all political parties;
(q) call
for the Georgian Government to further improve the physical conditions in
prisons and detention centres, continue to provide its full support to the
Public Defender of Georgia, responsible for monitoring human rights violations,
and consider facilitating civil society and human rights non-governmental
organisations in visiting persons in prisons and detention centres;
(r) assess
the implementation of the visa facilitation and readmission agreements and of
the EU-Georgia Mobility Partnership; consider then launching the EU-Georgia
visa dialogue in due course, with the aim of visa liberalisation; to ensure
that the Agreement reflects the progress towards visa liberalisation achieved
at the time of finalisation of the Agreement’s negotiation;
(s) incorporate
in the Agreement clauses on the protection and promotion of human rights
reflecting the highest international and European standards, taking full
advantage of the Council of Europe and OSCE framework and insisting
particularly on the rights of internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and persons
belonging to national and other minorities;
(t) note
the significant work done by
(u) encourage
the Georgian authorities to adopt and implement comprehensive and effective
anti-discrimination legislation in accordance with both the letter and the
spirit of EU legislation and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, inter
alia including provisions against discrimination based on sexual orientation
and gender identity;
(v) emphasise
in the Agreement the importance of ensuring fundamental freedoms, the rule of
law, good governance and the continued fight against corruption and continue to
support the reform of the judiciary as one of the priorities, in order to
increase public trust in the judiciary, and the need to develop a fully
independent judiciary, including by taking steps to ensure that high-profile
political, human rights and property usurpation cases are fairly reviewed;
(w) call
on the Georgian Government to promote free media, freedom of expression and
media pluralism; allow the media to report independently and objectively
without political and economic pressure; ensure credible and efficient
implementation of measures to protect journalists; ensure transparency of media
ownership, with regard in particular to broadcast media, and free access to
public information;
(x) include
in the Agreement a section on the protection of the rights of the child,
including harmonisation of the relevant Georgian legislation with the
Convention on the Rights of the Child;
(y) stress
the importance of achieving full gender equality with regard, in particular, to
the huge gender pay gap;
The
economy and sectoral cooperation
(z) launch
as soon as possible the DCFTA negotiations, and in this context provide the
relevant assistance to their Georgian counterparts to conduct negotiations and
subsequently implement the DCFTA after an accurate and thorough evaluation of
its social and environmental impact;
(aa) support
the opening of negotiations on a DCFTA as soon as possible and as soon as the
Key Recommendations made by the Commission and endorsed by the EU Member States
have been met by Georgia, so that Georgia can be more closely integrated with
its largest trading partner, this being necessary in order to sustain Georgia’s
economic growth and to overcome the economic crisis and damage caused by the
war with Russia in 2008;
(ab) encourage
Georgia’s progress in perfecting its legislation, improving the efficiency of
its institutions and ensuring high quality-control standards for its products
in order to comply with the requirements set out by the European Commission;
(ac) provide
EU financial and technical assistance to Georgia in order to ensure the
continuation of the legislative and institutional reforms needed in order to
adapt to the DCFTA and to accelerate the process of implementation of the Key
Recommendations set out in the EU-Georgia Action Plan;
(ad) stress
how important it is for the EU that Georgia guarantee the proper disposal of
toxic and radioactive waste on its territory as a prerequisite for facilitating
trade, especially with regard to agriculture in order to protect food safety;
(ae) include
in the Agreement commitments to comply with the International Labour
Organisation labour rights and standards, especially Conventions 87 and 98, and
the EU Social Charter as well as to the development of a genuine, structured and
non-discriminatory social dialogue in practice and to the facilitating effect
that Georgian approximation to the EU’s social acquis would have on the
country’s EU perspective;
(af) call
on the Georgian authorities to give a firmer commitment to employment policies
and social cohesion and to further create an environment conducive to EU
standards of the social market economy;
(ag) take
into account the substantial efforts made by the Georgian Government in recent
years to open up the country’s economy by setting very low industrial tariffs,
adopting a legal and regulatory framework conducive to business and investment,
and enforcing the rule of law;
(ah) include
sequential commitments covering key trade-related chapters such as non-tariff
barriers, trade facilitation, rules of origin, sanitary and phyto-sanitary
measures, intellectual property rights and investment and competition policy,
and to complete actions in areas covered by the Action Plan;
(ai) encourage
Georgia to pursue reforms that improve the business climate, its tax collection
capacity and its contractual dispute settlement mechanism, while promoting
corporate social responsibility and sustainable development; encourage
Georgia to invest in its infrastructure, especially with regard
to public services, to fight existing inequalities, particularly in
rural areas, to encourage cooperation between experts from the EU Member States
and their counterparts in Georgia in order to foster the implementation of
reforms in the country and to share on a daily basis the best practices of EU
governance;
(aj) encourage
broad sectoral cooperation; clarify particularly the benefits and promote
regulatory convergence in this area;
(ak) include
in the Agreement provisions regarding the possibility for Georgia to participate
in Community programmes and agencies, a fundamental tool for promoting European
standards at all levels;
(al) emphasise
the need for sustainable development, including through the promotion of
renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, taking into account EU climate
change targets; stress the importance of Georgia in improving EU energy
security by promoting priority projects and policy measures for the development
of the Southern Corridor (NABUCCO, AGRI, Trans-Caspian Pipeline, White Stream,
EAOTC);
(am) encourage
and assist the Georgian authorities in their investment programme for
construction of new generation capacity in hydropower plants in compliance with
EU standards and norms, as a tool to diversify its energy needs;
Other
issues
(an) consult
the European Parliament regarding provisions for parliamentary cooperation;
(ao) include
clear benchmarks for implementation of the Association Agreement and provide
for monitoring mechanisms, including the provision of regular reports to the European
Parliament;
(ap) provide
targeted financial and technical assistance to Georgia to help ensure that it
can meet the commitments stemming from the negotiations on the Association
Agreement and its full implementation, by continuing to provide Comprehensive
Institution-Building Programmes; make more resources available for developing
the administrative capacity of local and regional authorities with the help of
the Eastern Partnership measures, for partnership programmes, high-level
consultations, training programmes and worker exchange programmes, as well as
work placements and bursaries for vocational training purposes;
(aq) increase, in line with the Joint
Communication on a Renewed Response to a Changing Neighbourhood, EU assistance
to civil society organisations and the media in Georgia in order to enable them
to perform internal monitoring of and greater accountability for the reforms
and commitments the government has undertaken;
(ar) encourage
the EU negotiating team to continue the good cooperation with the European
Parliament, providing continuous information, supported by documentation, on
the progress of the negotiations, in accordance with Article 218(10) TFEU,
which states that Parliament shall be immediately and fully informed at all
stages of the procedure;
2. Instructs
its President to forward this resolution containing the European Parliament’s
recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the European External Action
Service and, for information, to
17 November 2011
(http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.)