**European Commission Warns Georgia on Visa Liberalization**
The European Commission has issued a warning to Georgia, saying that the country needs to take urgent action to address its recommendations or risk facing the activation of the visa suspension mechanism.
According to a report released on December 7, the Commission is considering activating the visa suspension mechanism for certain categories of people. The report cites recent developments in Georgia as the reason for this consideration.
**Implementation of Benchmarks**
The report looks at various benchmarks relevant to the visa liberalization regime, such as visa policy alignment, document security, and integrated border management. While some technical benchmarks have been implemented, the Commission is critical of progress in other areas, including visa policy alignment and external relations and fundamental rights.
**Visa Policy Alignment**
The report notes that Georgia has made no progress towards further visa policy alignment, and that the signature of a visa waiver agreement with China in April 2024 actually increased the divergence with EU visa policy. The Commission expects Georgia to make progress on this issue.
**External Relations and Fundamental Rights**
The report is even more critical of Georgia’s external relations and fundamental rights record. It cites legislation adopted in May and September 2024 as undermining fundamental rights and infringing upon human rights and freedoms, particularly the rights to freedom of association, expression, and privacy.
**Recommendations by the European Commission**
The Commission makes several recommendations to Georgia to avoid the activation of the visa suspension mechanism. These include:
* Ensuring the protection of fundamental rights for all Georgian citizens
* Avoiding and repealing legislation that restricts fundamental rights and freedoms
* Aligning Georgia’s visa policy with EU standards
* Establishing an Asset Recovery Office and anti-corruption strategy
* Amending laws to address key Venice Commission recommendations
The Commission will closely monitor the implementation of these recommendations, particularly in relation to the Law on “transparency of foreign influence” and the legislative package on “family values and protection of minors”.