The European Parliament strongly condemns Georgia's re-introduced 'transparency of foreign influence' law, stating it restricts civil society and independent media. This law affects organisations receiving over 20% foreign funding, requiring them to register as 'organisations pursuing the interests of a foreign power' and face scrutiny. The Parliament stresses this law is incompatible with EU values, damages Georgia's reputation, and jeopardises its EU membership aspirations. EU accession talks should not begin while this law is in effect, and the Parliament urges Georgia to withdraw it and uphold democratic principles.
Analysis
The European Parliament strongly condemns the re-introduction of the draft law on 'transparency of foreign influence', stating it would impose debilitating restrictions on civil society and independent media, undermining their ability to operate freely.
What changes
- The resolution addresses the re-introduction of a draft law on 'transparency of foreign influence' in Georgia.
- The law would require organizations receiving over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as 'organisations pursuing the interests of a foreign power' and label themselves as such.
- Registered organizations would be subjected to additional scrutiny, reporting requirements, and possibly sanctions, including administrative penalties up to GEL 25,000.
- The law is stated to seriously restrict the ability of media and civil society organizations to operate freely.
- The Georgian Government is also noted for proposing constitutional amendments to fight ‘LGBT propaganda’ and reversing a policy on gender quotas.
Expected impact
- The draft law would impose registration requirements, additional scrutiny, and potential administrative penalties on organizations receiving foreign funding.
- The law would seriously restrict the ability of media and civil society organizations to operate freely, potentially silencing critical voices.
- The draft law is considered incompatible with EU values and democratic principles.
Limitations
- The document is a resolution from the European Parliament and does not contain the full text of the Georgian draft law, limiting the ability to analyze specific legal mechanisms beyond what is described in the resolution.
- The document does not provide details on the specific sanctions that could be imposed by the EU or Member States beyond the mention of assessing the impact on EU funding.
- The document does not detail the 'nine steps' mentioned in the Commission's recommendation of 8 November 2023, beyond the two steps referenced in Recital C and Article 10.
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