RFE/RL: European Commission is inclined towards a decision related to granting Georgia EU candidate status

The European Commission is inclined towards a decision related to granting Georgia EU candidate status. Sources in Brussels tell RFE/RL.

According to RFE/RL, the recommendation to grant the candidate status to Georgia will be made if Tbilisi does not take further steps in the coming months that will distance the country from the European Union.

According to them, it is assumed that in October, after publishing regular reports on the countries of the Associated Trio, the European Commission will issue a recommendation on the start of negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union. Thus, in the process of European integration, Tbilisi still lags behind Kyiv and Chisinau.

RFE/RL journalist Rikard Jozwiak says that there are two important issues to consider.

First, there is quite a bit of time before the reports are published in October. In addition, even if the European Commission makes a positive recommendation for granting status to Tbilisi, the final decision must be made by the 27 member states - probably in December of this year.

Jozwiak says that Brussels' pace is due, among other things, to the fact that the European Parliament elections will be held in 2024.

The media outlet notes that in October, the final report on Georgia's implementation of the 12 recommendations of the European Commission will be published, and in May, Brussels will present an interim assessment to Tbilisi, but in a verbal and closed format.