Georgia’s accession process reached a halt, reads the 2025 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy , published on 4 November.

The report says that the Georgian government’s policy has undermined EU-Georgia relations and Georgia further derailed from the EU path.

“The Commission reiterates its steadfast solidarity with the Georgian people andits readiness to continue supporting Georgians on their path towards a Europeanfuture. The actions taken by the Georgian authorities fall short of the EU’sexpectations of an EU candidate country. There was serious backsliding in thefundamentals across the board with the adoption of repressive legislationundermining fundamental rights and freedoms, the political instrumentalisationof the judiciary, the persecution of opposition leaders, arbitrary arrests ofprotesters and journalists and a shrinking civic space. The erosion of theprinciple of checks and balances and democratic decision-making, combined with the absence of effective parliamentary oversight, have resulted in anincrease of executive power, including state capture. In November 2024, theGeorgian authorities’ decision not to pursue the opening of accessionnegotiations unequivocally confirmed their shift away from the policies ofprevious governments, the European aspirations of the vast majority of theGeorgian people, and the commitment inscribed in the Constitution of Georgia ofensuring Georgia’s full integration into the EU.

In parallel, the Georgian authoritieshave also systematically disseminated anti-EU rhetoric and disinformation andhave not demonstrated any political commitment to pursue the relevant reforms(i.e. the nine steps) set out in the Commission recommendations of 8 November2023, which are necessary for the country’s progress on the EU path. TheGeorgian authorities’ course of action has undermined EU-Georgia relations andmoved Georgia away from the EU enlargement process. Consequently, Georgia’sEU accession process has effectively come to a standstill. Until Georgianauthorities reverse their course of action, the Commission, on its part, and incomplementarity with the Council, has downgraded high level political contacts,suspended bilateral assistance directly benefiting the Georgian authorities, aswell as stepped up efforts to support civil society and independent media.

In January 2025, based on the Commission’s proposal, the Council decided thepartial suspension of the EU-Georgia Visa Facilitation Agreement and suspendedvisa exemption for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service/official passports", reads the report.