EU urges Georgia to withdraw 'foreign agent' bill
STORY: The European Union urged Georgia on Wednesday to withdraw its highly contested "foreign agents" bill as protests against the legislation continued in the capital Tblisi, bringing traffic in much of the city to a halt.
An EU statement, which came after the third and final reading of the bill in Georgia’s parliament a day earlier, urged authorities to withdraw the law, saying it was "not in line with EU core norms and value" and "negatively impacts Georgia’s progress on the EU path."
The bill would require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence.
It imposes onerous disclosure requirements and punitive fines for violations.
The draft law has been dubbed "the Russian law" by opponents, who compare it to legislation used by the Kremlin for the past decade to crack down on its opponents.
For many young Georgians, the fight represents a stark choice over whether Georgia should integrate with Europe or rebuild old ties with Russia.
“Everyone in the EU has told us that it is against their principles, against their ju dgement. They advise us not to take this law. And I think we should listen to them because they are our friends.”
“This is against our constitution which states that we should be doing everything to be part of the EU and NATO. So I think that in the long term, in the long run I think this will affect our country in a really negative way. That’s why we need to get rid of this law and get rid of this government.”
The prospect of EU membership is widely popular in Georgia.
And despite recent anti-Western rhetoric, the ruling party says it wants the country to join both the EU and NATO.
EU leaders agreed in December to grant Georgia the status of a membership candidate on the understanding that it completes nine steps, including reducing political polarization.
Diplomats said the bill clearly did not fit with that aim.
The ruling Georgian Dream Party says the law is necessary to ensure the transparency of foreign funding for NGOs.
