On 4 November 2026, the European Commission published its annual report on Georgia, assessing the country's preparedness for EU membership, the state of democratic institutions, the rule of law, protection of fundamental rights and the extent of alignment with EU legislation.
The 2026 report confirms that democratic backsliding in Georgia has continued and describes the further expansion of mechanisms restricting political and civil rights. Particular attention is devoted to restrictions on political pluralism, the use of legal mechanisms against opposition parties, growing financial and criminal-law pressure on civil society, problems affecting judicial independence and the deteriorating environment for independent media.
In the Commission's assessment, measures taken by the Georgian authorities continue to run counter to the fundamental principles required for EU accession. The 2026 Enlargement Package also maintains the assessment first expressed in 2025 that Georgia is an EU candidate country 'in name only'.
A comparison of the 2025 and 2026 reports shows that, alongside the continuation of previously identified violations, the Commission records the emergence of additional legal and institutional mechanisms. While the 2025 report primarily described the political crisis following the 2024 parliamentary elections, the adoption of repressive legislation, the use of force against protesters and restrictions on independent institutions, the 2026 document focuses more closely on the subsequent development of these processes and the practical enforcement of existing restrictions.
One of the significant findings of the 2026 report concerns the expansion of mechanisms restricting political competition and citizens' political participation. According to the Commission, the condition of democratic institutions in Georgia has deteriorated further. This is linked to the increasing concentration of power, weak parliamentary oversight, legal proceedings targeting the political opposition and legislative amendments limiting citizens' political rights.
The issue of banning opposition political parties is particularly noteworthy. The 2025 report had already examined the ruling party's announced plans to ban opposition parties and the legal proceedings brought against political opponents. In the 2026 report, this issue is presented in the context of constitutional proceedings already under way. The Commission considers these developments a serious threat to political pluralism and draws attention to the risk that the judiciary could be used for political purposes.
Legislative amendments adopted in October and December 2025 and March 2026 are also significant in relation to restrictions on political participation. Specifically, the October 2025 amendments expanded the scope for restricting political activity, public office-holding and electoral participation by individuals associated with banned parties. In December of the same year, Georgian citizens' ability to vote from abroad in parliamentary elections was abolished. Amendments adopted in March 2026 introduced an eight-year restriction on political party membership for persons who had received income from foreign-funded organisations. Restrictions on political activity by business entities were also broadened. The Commission refers to assessments by the Venice Commission, according to which these regulations disproportionately restrict political freedoms and threaten the existence of the political opposition and democratic competition.
The 2026 report also reviews the October 2025 local elections. According to the Commission, the elections took place in a highly polarised environment, amid a boycott by most opposition parties and restrictions on political competition. The report notes that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) was unable to deploy an observation mission because the authorities issued the invitation too late.
The situation of civil society remains one of the central issues in the 2026 report. In 2025, the Commission had already documented administrative and financial pressure on non-governmental organisations, legislation restricting foreign funding, demands by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for the disclosure of sensitive information about organisations' beneficiaries, and other measures obstructing civil society activity.
The 2026 document adds the criminal prosecution of non-governmental organisations and restrictions on access to financial resources to these concerns. The Commission specifically highlights pressure on civil society representatives, including investigations involving allegations of sabotage, assistance to hostile activities by foreign organisations, financing activities directed against the constitutional order, and causing harm to state interests.
According to the Commission, the March 2026 amendments to the Law on Grants, the Criminal Code and related legislation are especially significant for restrictions on the civic sector. The report notes that certain offences under the new rules carry severe criminal penalties, including imprisonment for six to twelve years. In the Commission's assessment, the amendments have substantially restricted access to foreign support and strengthened the government's ability, through prior authorisation requirements, to control organisations whose activities it regards as undesirable. In this context, the Commission also notes that the bank accounts of several leading non-governmental organisations, including the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), remain frozen as a preventive measure linked to a criminal investigation.
In the Commission's assessment, the combined effect of financial restrictions, state control and criminal liability significantly obstructs the work of independent organisations in Georgia and threatens the functioning of civil society.
An important new element of the 2026 report is the restructuring of state oversight and control. The Commission describes the abolition of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Personal Data Protection Service in March 2026 and the transfer of their functions to the State Audit Office.
The Commission acknowledges that the State Audit Office is formally an independent institution accountable to Parliament. Nevertheless, it raises concerns about whether the existing institutional environment provides sufficient guarantees of effective independence and impartial oversight. The State Audit Office's monitoring of civil society activity is regarded as particularly problematic.
As in previous years, the Commission again finds no progress in combating corruption. It notes that Georgia has not adopted a new anti-corruption strategy or action plan since 2020, and that institutional changes do not fully address the recommendations of GRECO and the Venice Commission.
For the third consecutive year, the Commission records backsliding in the judiciary and fundamental rights. According to the 2026 report, the main recommendations concerning reform of the High Council of Justice and the Supreme Court remain unimplemented. The Commission notes that amendments to legislation governing the judiciary, adopted in December 2025, further increased the risks to judicial independence and impartiality.
The report devotes particular attention to sentences imposed on participants in the ongoing protests in Georgia. The Commission notes that severe and disproportionate penalties heighten concerns about the possible use of the Georgian judiciary as an instrument of a repressive system. The Commission report explicitly points to insufficient procedural safeguards, unclear standards of proof and problems with the effective appeal of detention decisions.
A significant new development concerning freedom of assembly is the assessment of legislative amendments adopted in October and December 2025. These amendments broadened police powers, increased administrative penalties and introduced the possibility of criminal liability for repeated violations of rules governing assemblies. The Commission describes instances in which protesters were fined or subjected to administrative detention for demonstrating on pavements. According to the report, the legislative changes raise serious questions about their compliance with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.
Regarding the accountability of law enforcement bodies, the Commission notes that, in May 2026, the Prosecutor's Office charged five police officers with abuse of authority during the 2024 demonstrations. However, the great majority of publicly reported cases of torture and ill-treatment remain uninvestigated. The Commission also notes that no independent investigation has been conducted into allegations that chemical substances were mixed into water cannons during the 2024 protests.
These findings demonstrate that the Commission considers the state of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies in Georgia to be interconnected issues affecting the exercise of the rights to peaceful assembly, a fair trial and an effective remedy.
The Commission also records backsliding in media freedom for the third consecutive year. The 2026 report describes continued intimidation, harassment, violence and legal pressure against independent journalists and media outlets. Compared with the 2025 report, however, greater emphasis is placed on content regulation and restrictions on freedom of expression.
The Commission raises concerns about the independence and impartiality of the Communications Commission, particularly in view of its expanded powers to regulate media content. The report discusses changes to parliamentary accreditation rules adopted in June 2026, which allow journalists' accreditation to be suspended. Regarding public broadcasting, it also describes the suspension of programmes at the Adjara Public Broadcaster and the dismissal of 14 employees.
In addition, the Commission refers to a criminal-law provision introduced in March 2026, which envisages up to three years' imprisonment for 'systematic actions' aimed at denying the legitimacy of the authorities. In the Commission's assessment, such provisions could be used to criminalise views critical of the government. Another cause for concern is the hate-speech unit established within the Ministry of Internal Affairs in May 2026 and its possible impact on freedom of expression.
The Commission's 2026 report addresses several new international and institutional developments. Of particular importance is the invocation of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism in relation to Georgia by 23 participating States in January 2026. The report published under this procedure in March presented significant findings on democratic backsliding and the human rights situation in Georgia, on which the Commission also draws in its assessment.
Another significant development cited by the Commission was the suspension of Georgia's participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in April 2026. The decision was taken because the Georgian authorities had failed to adopt adequate measures to address the shrinking of civic space and problems affecting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
The 2026 Commission report places particular emphasis on visa liberalisation. From 6 March 2026, under the revised Visa Suspension Mechanism, the Commission suspended visa-free travel throughout the EU for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports, initially for one year. The Commission also warns that failure to meet commitments concerning fundamental rights, anti-corruption policies and democratic standards poses risks to the broader visa-free regime.
According to the report, Georgia's alignment with the EU's foreign policy also decreased, from 40% in 2025 to 38% in 2026. The Commission again notes Georgia's incomplete alignment with the restrictive measures imposed by the EU against Russia, Belarus and Iran.
Despite these concerns, the report identifies some progress in specific economic areas. Progress is recorded regarding the functioning of a market economy, while limited progress is noted in the fight against organised crime, public procurement and statistics.
According to the Commission's 2026 report, since 2024 the EU has suspended EUR 121.3 million in bilateral financial assistance intended to benefit Georgian state institutions directly. The restrictions cover budget support, technical assistance to state institutions and investment grants envisaged under the EU's Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI–Global Europe) for 2021–2027. Alongside the suspension, the EU has begun redirecting part of the relevant funds to other areas.
The restrictions also affected defence cooperation with Georgia. Since 2024, approval of new assistance under the European Peace Facility (EPF) has been suspended. Under this mechanism, EUR 62.75 million was allocated to the Georgian Defence Forces in 2021–2023 to strengthen medical, engineering, logistical and cyber-defence capabilities.
The restrictions have also affected cooperation in education. Since 2026, Georgian state institutions have no longer been eligible to participate in the relevant Erasmus+ activities. At the same time, Georgia continues to participate in EU programmes such as Horizon Europe, Creative Europe and EU4Youth. Certain opportunities for Georgian citizens and organisations to take part in Erasmus+ activities also remain available.
The Commission further notes that no political dialogue took place between Georgia and the EU during the reporting period. A number of regular dialogue and cooperation formats under the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area also remained suspended.
An important part of the 2026 report consists of the recommendations that the European Commission sets out for Georgia.
Regarding the protection of fundamental rights, the Commission calls on Georgia to release all persons arbitrarily detained, including politicians, journalists and activists. It also urges the authorities to investigate fully allegations of excessive use of force, torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officers and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
On restrictive legislation, the Commission recommends repealing laws that are incompatible with European and international standards. The report explicitly refers to the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), amendments to the laws on grants, assemblies and demonstrations, and political associations, related provisions of criminal and administrative law, and the legislative package on the Protection of Family Values and Minors.
With respect to the judiciary, the Commission calls for comprehensive reform of the High Council of Justice and the Supreme Court in accordance with the Venice Commission's recommendations. Particular attention is paid to judicial selection and appointment procedures, the independence of the Council and the introduction of an integrity vetting mechanism for holders of senior judicial positions, with a substantial role for international experts.
On media freedom, the Commission calls for ensuring journalists' safety, effectively investigating attacks and intimidation against them, repealing restrictive media legislation and providing an environment free from censorship, retaliation and sanctions.
Recommendations concerning anti-corruption measures and public administration address the functioning of independent and effective oversight institutions, the adoption of an anti-corruption strategy and action plan, restoration of safeguards against political interference in the civil service, access to public information and renewed cooperation with the Open Government Partnership.
In addition, the Commission calls on Georgia to fulfil the visa-liberalisation benchmarks and take account of the recommendations related to the Visa Suspension Mechanism.
The European Commission's 2026 report on Georgia confirms that democratic backsliding continues and that restrictive legislative and institutional mechanisms are expanding further.
Compared with the 2025 report, the particular significance of the 2026 assessment lies in its documentation of several interconnected processes: the progression of efforts to ban opposition parties into constitutional proceedings; the introduction of new restrictions on political participation; the expansion of criminal-law and financial controls affecting civil society; and the concentration of state oversight powers.
At the same time, the Commission records backsliding for the third consecutive year in judicial independence, fundamental rights and freedom of expression. The principal recommendations issued in the preceding year remain unimplemented in these areas.
The Commission's different approach to issuing recommendations is also significant. Since 2025, it has no longer issued new recommendations for negotiating chapters outside the fundamentals of the accession process. This approach is maintained in the 2026 report, reflecting the Commission's priority of ensuring that Georgia meets the democratic and legal preconditions necessary for EU membership.
In this context, the main obstaclesto Georgia's EU integration can no longer be understood solely as matters of technical or sectoral alignment with EU legislation. According to the Commission, the functioning of democratic institutions, the protection of political pluralism, judicial independence, the ability of civil society to operate freely and effective mechanisms for protecting human rights are of decisive importance.
Accordingly, the principal finding of the 2026 report is not a further confirmation that Georgia's EU accession process has been halted, but the identification of additional legislative, institutional and criminal-law mechanisms that, in the Commission's assessment, have deepened democratic backsliding.
According to the Commission's 2026 Enlargement Policy Communication, Georgia still has the possibility of resuming its European integration process. This depends, however, on the authorities renewing their commitment to democracy, the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights, and implementing the relevant reforms.
Alleged Sexual Violence against Giorgi Davitadze - Call for an Immediate and Effective Investigation
02.10.2026Solidarity with Vakho Sanaia
22.07.2026
Subscribe to Our News
