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Summaries of EU Legislation

Association Agreement with Georgia

SUMMARY OF:

Association Agreement between the EU and Euratom and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part

Decision 2014/494/EU — signature, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Association Agreement between the EU and Euratom and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part

Decision 2014/495/Euratom approving the conclusion, by the European Commission, on behalf of the European Atomic Energy Community, of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE AGREEMENT AND THE DECISION?

The aims of the agreement are to:

  • promote political association and economic integration including by increasing Georgia’s participation in EU policies, programmes and agencies;
  • provide a stronger base for political dialogue allowing the development of close political relations between the parties;
  • contribute to the strengthening of democracy and to political, economic and institutional stability in Georgia;
  • promote, preserve and strengthen peace and stability regionally and internationally;
  • promote cooperation aimed at peaceful conflict resolution;
  • enhance cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice with the aim of reinforcing the rule of law and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
  • support the efforts of Georgia to develop its economic potential through international cooperation, including through aligning its laws more closely to those of the EU;
  • achieve Georgia’s gradual economic integration into the EU’s internal market, in particular through establishing a deep and comprehensive free trade area;
  • establish conditions for closer cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.

Decision 2014/494/EU marks the signature and Decision 2014/495/Euratom marks the conclusion of the association agreement with Georgia by the EU, Euratom and the EU Member States.

KEY POINTS

The association agreement covers:

General principles

The agreement is based on a number of basic principles:

Political dialogue

Political dialogue between the 2 parties is to be further developed and strengthened. It has a number of aims including:

  • deepening political association and increase political and security policy convergence and effectiveness;
  • promoting the principles of territorial integrity, respect for internationally recognised borders, sovereignty and independence;
  • peaceful conflict resolution;
  • international stability and security based on effective multilateralism;
  • deepening cooperation on security and defence.

Freedom, security and justice

Cooperation on freedom, security and justice covers a number of specific issues including:

  • protection of personal data;
  • migration, asylum and border management;
  • fight against organised crime, corruption, terrorism and illegal drugs.

Trade and trade-related matters

The agreement contains a wide range of trade and trade-related matters including:

  • national treatment and market access for goods:
    • setting up a free trade area between the parties and removes customs duties on goods originating from the other party, with certain exceptions (set out in the annexes),
    • an anti-circumvention mechanism, which under certain circumstances would suspend the preferential treatment of certain Georgian agricultural products entering the EU, has been in effect since 2016;
  • gradual alignment with EU legislation in the areas of technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary matters, customs and trade facilitation and public procurement;
  • right of establishment, trade in services and e-commerce;
  • current payments and movement of capital;
  • with regard to intellectual property rights, the agreement signed in 2012 between the EU and Georgia on the protection of geographical indications was integrated into the association agreement. A priority of the latter agreement has been to ensure Georgian legislation in this field is effectively enforced and that officials of the relevant administrations and members of the judiciary receive adequate training. In the context of the Association Council (see below), the EU and Georgia meet regularly to discuss issues and best practice in this area.

Economic cooperation

The agreement requires that:

  • both parties improve their understanding of the other’s economy and introduce economic policies to bring about economic reform;
  • Georgia works towards a functioning market economy, gradually aligns its economic and financial rules with those of the EU, and ensures sound macroeconomic policies.

Other areas of cooperation

The EU and Georgia agree to establish close cooperation on a wide range of policy areas to help the development and growth potential of Georgia.

Financial assistance, anti-fraud and control rules

Institutional and general rules

  • The agreement sets up an Association Council to supervise the application and implementation of the agreement.
  • It is assisted by an Association Committee and an Association Committee in trade configuration made up of senior civil servants of the 2 parties.

DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE

  • The agreement is a mixed agreement1 requiring it to be ratified by each Member State as well as by the European Parliament. It has been in force since .
  • Certain parts of the agreement have been provisionally applied since .

BACKGROUND

KEY TERMS

  1. Mixed agreement: if the subject matter of an agreement does not fall under the exclusive competence of the EU (here, the agreement also involves Euratom), Member States also have to sign the agreement. Such agreements are known as mixed agreements. This means that, in addition to the EU itself, Member States become contracting parties towards the non-EU contracting parties. Mixed agreements may also require that an internal EU act is adopted to share out the obligations between the Membr States and the EU.

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (OJ L 261, , pp. 4-743)

Successive amendments to the Association Agreement have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Council Decision 2014/494/EU of on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (OJ L 261, , pp. 1-3)

Council Decision 2014/495/Euratom of approving the conclusion, by the European Commission, on behalf of the European Atomic Energy Community, of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part (OJ L 261, , pp. 744-745)

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