According to the European Commission‘s financial allocations for 2022-2024, Georgia will lose 121.3 millions of euros in EU aid due to its democratic backsliding.
According to the European Commission these funds are being withheld from Georgia or reallocated “in response to a backsliding on democracy standards, particularly following the adoption of a Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence (Foreign Agents’ Law), targeting Georgian civil societies and media.”
The funds withheld and reallocated are distributed as follows by year: 12 million Euros in 2022; 72 million Euros in 2023; and 37.3 millions euros in 2020, for a total of 121.3 million euro over three years.
The EU Delegation to Georgia clarifies that the annual allocations aren’t all spent in the same years, “therefore remaining funds from 2022 or 2023 directly benefiting authorities will be lost.”
“Really sad to see that the backsliding of democracy, hostile rhetoric and misinformation has led to this. Georgia can reverse the situation and return to its EU path. Nicholas Cendrowicz of the EU Delegation in Georgia’s Development and Cooperation Unit reacted to this decision by saying that it was in line with the overwhelming wish of the Georgian population.
* 20/09/2024: EU Ambassador stresses free and fair elections in Georgia and warns of possible consequences
* 19/06/2024: Pawel Herczynsky – Adoption of Foreign Agents Law has frozen Georgia’s EU integration
The Daily Beat: Tuesday, 2 October
President Zurabishvili Visits Brussels, Meets Michel, von der Leyen
The Constitutional Court remains silent as the first entries in the Foreign Agents Registry appear
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