Tbilisi.Among many other activities, don't miss out on the Europe Day Talks on May 11th at Expo Georgia! Pavilion 6 will host panel sessions covering a range of topics about the EU and Georgia, including opportunities supported by the EU, shared values, human rights, and more. Hosted by Davit Gorgiladze, these talks will provide quite a few answers about Georgia's European future. More.... Source: European Union in Georgia

“For my home country Czechia, entering the EU meant a significant step towards economic and political stability and security." Watch the Ambassador of the Czech Republic sharing his country’s experience of the EU membership. More... Source: European Union in Georgia

Tbilisi.On April 18, 23, and 24, the Rondel Foundation organized a training session for human resource management specialists working in the public sector. The focus of the training was Modern Human Resources Management – Employee Surveys, Politics and the Role of the Civil Service. The event comprised of one webinar and two seminars. The seminars were facilitated by Swedish consultants Hans Norgren, Eva Falck, and their Georgian colleague Tamta Chrikishvili. Additionally, Swedish consultants Mats Beskow and Katarina Önell participated remotely in the seminar. The combined webinar and seminars were designed to enhance the capacity of HR managers and experts within the Georgian civil service, providing them with insights into utilizing employee research/surveys and comprehending the significance of civil service roles. More... Source: Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

“By entering the EU, we have chosen a path of values, prosperity, solidarity and security and being part of the community with high respect for human rights and individual freedoms.”   Watch the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic sharing insights into his country's journey as part of the EU family. More... Source: European Union in Georgia 

Tbilisi.On April 25, 2024, within the framework of the "Civil Society Initiative" project supported by the European Union, a regional volunteering forum organized by the Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) and Shida Kartli regional hub – Society Biliki. The aim of the forum is to popularize the culture of volunteering among the youth of the Shida Kartli region, to promote communication between volunteer organizations and people interested in volunteering, as well as to increase the awareness of regional public organizations among the population, to inform the population of the region about their activities, implemented projects, and to increase trust in civil society organizations. The event held within the framework of the project “Civil Society STAR Initiative: CSOs as Sustainable, Transparent, Accountable and Resilient Development Actors in Georgia“(2021-2025). The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The works of Shida Kartli Regional Hub are run by Society Biliki.  More... Source: Society Biliki

Speech delivered by Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell. "Madam President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, Over the past weeks, thousands of citizens of Georgia have taken to the streets to exercise their right to peaceful demonstration, demanding once again that authorities withdraw the law on transparency of foreign influence. We have seen impressive scenes from Georgia last year already. Citizens of all ages holding Georgian and European flags showing their strong attachment to democracy, to our shared European values and to Georgia’s path towards the European Union. At the time, the ruling party and the government made a public pledge to the Georgian citizens that such legislation would never come back. I urge the political leaders of Georgia to withdraw the draft law. As it was the case last year, it is clear that this legislation is incompatible with the EU norms and values. If adopted, it would jeopardise Georgia’s progress on the EU path. Georgians have a future in the European Union. The candidate status that was granted last December has brought our relations closer than ever before. Our door is open, so I urge the Georgian leaders to mirror the expectations of the citizens and not derail the country from the EU path. The work of civil society and media organisations is crucial to any democracy. Georgia has a vibrant and diverse civil society that has contributed to the country’s successful progress towards EU membership. The proposed legislation would limit the capacity of civil society and media organisations to operate freely, it would limit freedom of expression and unfairly stigmatise organisations that deliver benefits to the citizens of Georgia. This would also impact the European Union’s support to the Georgian people, as a part of it is channelled through NGOs. Transparency should not be used as an instrument to limit civil society’s capacity to operate freely. The Commission stressed in its enlargement report the work that Georgia needs to undertake and in particular the nine steps. As an EU candidate country, Georgia is expected to comply with the Copenhagen criteria, which specifically require adherence to principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Only meaningful and irreversible progress in these fundamental areas determine the opening and overall pace of accession negotiations. Finally, the EU urges the Georgian leaders to foster national consensus around the goal of joining the European Union. It is imperative for all political leaders to reduce polarisation and engage positively and constructively with each other and with the civil society. Enlargement is a success when the whole country is behind this goal. It is also a strategic choice of any country that decides to embark on this path. It is a commitment to align not only with our norms, but also with our values." Source: European Union in Georgia 

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

Watch the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden sharing her experience about Sweden’s membership in the EU. “The European Union is a unique partnership and when we joined the European Union in 1995 it was an important moment in our history.” More... Source: European Union in Georgia

"For Denmark, being part of the EU is about the peace, prosperity and influence.” Watch the Ambassador of Denmark in the video below sharing her country’s experience of what does it mean to be part of the EU family. More...  Source: European Union in Georgia 

Tbilisi.Georgian Down Syndrome Association has initiated a new and significant project titled "Action with Equal Rights."  The project aims to empower young people with Down syndrome, enabling them to become self-advocates and increasing their participation in civil activism. Through the project's activities, Georgian Down Syndrome Association aim to cultivate self-advocates within the country who possess the skills to participate in various advisory councils for people with disabilities.  They will be equipped to articulate their rights and advocate for the enhancement of the quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The financial support for the project comes from the NDI head office, as part of the Equal Rights in Action Fund program. More... Source: Georgian Down Syndrome Association

“For Italy, the European Union constitutes a project of peace, mutual growth and common security.” Ambassador of the Italian Republic shares his experience about Italy’s membership in the EU. More... Source: European Union in Georgia

Explore the Expo Georgia map and kickstart your Europe Day plans with us on May 11th! Join us to make memories together at this exciting event! map... Source: European Union in Georgia 

The Europe edition of the popular game “What? Where? When?” was successfully launched in 2023. Throughout 2024, the game will also be played in other municipalities of Georgia, including Samtskhe-Javakheti Region, Kvemo Kartli Region, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region, and the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Region. The questions for the game were tailored to enable youth to learn more about the European Union in a fun and interactive manner. School students from grades. In alignment with Europe Day activities, this quiz game marathon is designed to make learning about the European Union engaging and interactive. The marathon will progress across all regions of Georgia. More... Source: European Union in Georgia 

“I do not normally use the expression “a dream come true”, but the sensation for the majority of the Bulgarian population when we joined the EU was very close to it.” -  Find out more about what the EU membership means for Bulgarian people in the interview with the country’s Ambassador. More... Source: European Union in Georgia 

The protests against the reintroduction of Georgia's law on transparency of foreign influence have been consistent since the reintroduction of it. The situation escalated as police clashed with demonstrators, leading to injuries and arrests on April 16. Police aggressively dispersed protesters behind parliament, using pepper spray and physical force. 13 peaceful demonstrators have been detained. Throughout the night, Georgian non-governmental organizations diligently searched detention centers for the detainees, engaging with them, documenting rights violations. Journalists covering the events also faced violence from law enforcement. The bill's first vote was postponed for a day due to lengthy parliamentary debates, while tens of thousands continued protests outside. On April 17, the Georgian Parliament passed the law “on transparency of foreign influence” in its first reading with 83 votes in favor and none against, despite strong opposition from international partners, opposition MPs and politicians, and ongoing public protests near the Parliament building. The protests remained peaceful, however, police arrested two more people, one of whom they said had a weapon. President Zourabichvili appealed to European leaders, denouncing the bill as a threat to Georgia's European aspirations. Several high-profile Georgian sportspeople made posts expressing opposition to the draft law and supporting country’s European future. The reintroduced legislation faced renewed criticism from Western officials after the first reading. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, and the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, called on Georgian Dream to withdraw the bill, stating that it contradicts fundamental EU principles and values. The United Nations human rights office also urged Georgian authorities to withdraw the draft law. In Washington, the State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel also reiterated the US’s concern that the foreign agent bill could “stigmatize civil society organizations working to improve the lives of Georgian citizens and media organizations operating within Georgia.” The bill has yet to pass its second and third readings, although this time, unlike last year, without an accelerated procedure. The ruling majority is expected to pass the bill in its final, third reading on May 17. The law's enactment would undermine democratic principles and stifle civil society, drawing parallels to restrictive measures in Russia.

Tbilisi. UNDP Georgia publishes the compilation of articles ‘Human Rights Protection: European Experience and National Challenges’.  This impressive collection shares European countries' human rights protection experiences from legislative and practical perspectives. Serving as a valuable resource for decision-makers, lawyers, human rights defenders, and scholars, the publication has been produced by თსუ საერთაშორისო სამართლის ინსტიტუტი • TSU International Law Institute with assistance from European Union in Georgia, UNDP Georgia, and OHCHR. More... Source: UNDP Georgia

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person.  Newsletter...

Mckheta-Mtianeti.On April 14, Education Development and Employment Center organized a workshop for young people living in Dusheti. “The history of women’s emancipation – the Georgian history of the struggle for rights in the field of education, work and property, self-expression, freedom from violence, civil and political participation, the role of women in the Georgian enlightenment and the political processes of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1918-1921 – these were the main issues of the workshop organized in Dusheti. The meeting was chaired by philosopher, researcher, professor of Iv. Javakhishvili State University Lela Gaprindashvili.  The workshop was organized within the framework of the European Union (EU) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) funded project “Civil Society STAR Initiative: Sustainable, Transparent and Accountable Civil society Organizations (CSOs) for the Development of Georgia” (2021-2025).  The project is implemented by the Consortium led by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and composed of the following CSOs: Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG), Civil Society Institute (CSI), Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC), and Institute for European Politics (IEP). More... Source: Education Development and Employment Center

"For Spain, being part of the EU, was really a recognition. It was a dream come true.” If you want to know more on what the EU membership means for Spain watch the Charge d’Affairs of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in the video   More... Source: European Union in Georgia

“It meant joining a community of friends and neighbours with shared values, with common goals.”- Watch the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria, reflecting on Austria's EU accession. More... Source: European Union in Georgia

Imereti.EU and UNDP Help Revitalize Perevi Village through Rural Entrepreneurship. The EU and UNDP provide Perevi residents with resources they need to kickstart rural entrepreneurship and prevent migration from village to cities or abroad in search of better employment opportunities. Read the success stories of women beneficiaries of the project here Source: European Union in Georgia

“Thanks to Europe, we do not have to choose between peace, freedom and our culture. This is also true for the candidate countries. It is also true for Georgia.”   Watch the Ambassador of France in Georgia sharing her experience of what does it mean to be part of the EU family. More... Source: European Union in Georgia