On 17 April, the Georgian parliament presented the EU Association Agreement Action Plan for the 2019-2020 period, reports agenda.ge. Georgia’s speaker of the Parliament, Irakli Kobakhidze, and chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration, Tamar Khulordava, presented the Action Plan which outlined the key parliamentary activities for 2019-2020 directed at the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.

Organised with the assistance of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the event brought together Georgian law-makers and representatives of the civil society, diplomatic missions and international organizations. The action plan covers the legislative activities, oversight of the EUAA implementation and a public awareness campaign about the EU integration by the Georgian parliament. The parliament has been tasked to bring the country’s legislation into line with 346 EU directives, 213 regulations, 57 decisions and 31 recommendations until 2020.

“The implementation of the Association Agreement is a complex task which requires coordinated efforts of the government branches and an active involvement of the public,” said Tamar Khulordava, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration. “The new Action Plan sets a framework for the Parliament’s work in bringing the national legislation closer to European standards, enhancing oversight and ensuring an effective public outreach”.

The Ambasador of the European Union to Georgia, Carl Hartzell, highlighted the increased role of the Parliament in the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement. “The European Union acknowledges Georgia’s good progress in the implementation of the country’s commitments under the Association Agreement. The Parliament of Georgia, as a key institution in this parliamentary democracy, plays an indispensable role in overseeing the implementation process and ensuring further democratic and other reforms”, said Hartzell.

“The Association Agreement sets an ambitious agenda and a tight timeline for all of Georgia’s branches of government,” said Louisa Vinton, UNDP Head in Georgia. “That is why it is so important to have a detailed action plan to guide the parliamentary work over the next two years. Now Parliament has clarity on what needs to be done, by whom and until when, so that Georgia can derive maximum benefit from this landmark agreement”, Vinton added.

The Parliament’s Action Plan 2019-2020 on the Implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement has been developed based on the findings of a baseline study supported by the EU and UNDP in 2017. The Action Plan was adopted by the Parliament Bureau on 19 March 2019 aiming to streamline parliamentary activities and foster a coherent strategic approach to the process across all involved committees. The EU-Georgia Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone, entered into effect in July 2016 aimed at striving for political association and economic integration between the EU and Georgia.