EU Warns Georgia’s EU Membership at Risk Over “Foreign Agent” Law>

Summary:
The European Union has issued a strong warning to Georgia, indicating that the country’s recent "foreign agent" law endangers its bid for EU membership. The European Council expressed serious concerns, stating that the law is a major setback for Georgia’s EU integration efforts, resulting in a halt to the accession process. The law, passed amid widespread protests, requires civil society organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as acting in the interest of a foreign power, with penalties for non-compliance. Critics, including constitutional lawyer Davit Zedelashvili and UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, argue that the law undermines freedom of expression and unfairly stigmatizes organizations. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili had planned to apply for full EU membership in 2024, but the new law has cast doubt on these aspirations. Amid ongoing civil unrest, the EU has called for an end to violence and intimidation, standing in solidarity with the Georgian people as the nation faces a pivotal moment in its EU relationship.