European Parliament: Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, Jansen, T. and Ahamad Madatali, H., European Parliament, 2022.

In November 2021, the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) requested an own-initiative annual report on the implementation of the association agreement between the EU and Georgia (2021/2236(INI)). Sven Mikser (S&D, Estonia) is the appointed rapporteur. The Ex-Post Evaluation Unit (EVAL) within the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has prepared this European implementation assessment (EIA) to accompany the scrutiny work of AFET. This EIA is an update of a European implementation assessment on the association agreement between the EU and Georgia, prepared by the EPRS in April 2020.

European Commission: Joint Research Centre, Bongiardo, D., Chiaramello, D., Dara, A., Cortinovis, R. et al., Atlas of migration 2024, Bongiardo, D.(editor), Dara, A.(editor), Crespi, I.(editor) and Sofos, I.(editor), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The Atlas of Migration is more than just a publication—it is a testament to the power of data and rigorous analysis in illuminating the multifaceted nature of migratory movements. The 2024 edition of the Atlas continues to serve as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers and the public at large, offering a wealth of data to cut through the confusion and misinformation that often surrounds the discourse on migration. The Atlas provides the latest harmonised and validated data on migration for the 27 EU Member States and for 171 countries and territories around the world. It brings together data from many reliable sources, such as Eurostat, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, the World Bank and many others. This year’s thematic chapter of the Atlas delves into the nuanced motivations behind migration, moving beyond simplified narratives in favour of a more comprehensive view that acknowledges the diverse and often overlapping reasons that propel individuals to move.

European Commission: Eurostat, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.

The Factsheets of Basic figures on European Neighbourhood Policy-East (ENP-East) countries presents series of basic statistical data for five of the six ENP-East countries and compares them with EU data. The ENP-East countries are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Statistical cooperation with Belarus has been suspended as of March 2022. With data up to and including the year 2022, this publication includes indicators from various domains such as demography, education, labour market, inflation, trade, economy, energy, etc. For certain indicators, effects of the Covid-19 pandemic may be discerned.

In order to address the diversity of country and territory codes and names used in the EU institutions, the European Commission has developed a corporate code list of countries and territories that covers the different use cases its services have.

European Parliament: Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union and Ruthrauff, H., European Parliament, 2017.

This study focuses on electoral reform in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, which have all concluded Association Agreements with the EU. Recent experience in all three countries has shown that political elites are changing (or not changing) the electoral system to hold onto power. Beyond the choice of electoral system, changes have often been introduced in a rush, without a genuinely inclusive, thorough and public debate.

European Commission: Directorate-General for International Partnerships and Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022.

The main objectives of this evaluation are to: i) provide a comprehensive and independent assessment of the EU's past and current cooperation with Georgia during the period 2014-2020, viewing it from the perspective of the EU's political objectives and priorities in Georgia and the region, as well the effects of the support provided over the period; and ii) draw key lessons and make recommendations to guide decision-makers within DG NEAR and EEAS and other services involved in EU external action on how to improve strategies and implementation of current and future interventions and how these can fit into the evolving priorities of the European Commission (EC).

European Investment Bank, 2021.

This joint publication between the EBRD and the EIB aims to identify the key challenges and opportunities for promoting private sector development as well as public and private sector investment in Georgia. Wide-ranging reforms linked to Georgia’s EU aspirations have strengthened its economy and improved living standards. Nevertheless, further reforms are still needed and the Covid-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the hospitality sector, which has been a key driving force behind the country’s strong growth in recent years. To continue its economic convergence with the EU, Georgia needs to strengthen the conditions for its private sector to thrive.

Giuashvili, T., European University Institute, 2023.

Georgia stands on the threshold of gaining candidate status for membership of the EU. Paradoxically, however, this is precisely the moment when Georgia seems to be drifting away from the Union. A few months after applying for candidate status, the parliament sought to adopt the so-called ‘foreign agents’ law, which would have restricted Georgia’s democratic space and jeopardised its European future. After intense popular pressure, the law has been repealed, but the underlying problem has not gone away. The government seeks to de-legitimise domestic and external critics in the run up to elections next year, while taking an ambivalent position concerning Russia’s aggression of Ukraine.

European Commission: Eurostat, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.

The factsheets of Labour market statistics on candidate countries and potential candidates presents series of statistical data on different aspects of the labour market for ten candidate countries and potential candidates and compares them with EU data. The candidate countries at the time of writing are: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine. Kosovo and Georgia are potential candidates.

Giuashvili, T., European University Institute, 2022.

Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have deepened their relations with the European Union by concluding Association Agreements aimed to advance their political association and economic integration with the Union. The three countries have committed to internal reforms towards strengthening democracy, the rule of law and the market economy.

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services, Lazarou, E. and Zamfir, I. European Parliament, 2022.

This is the fifth Peace and Security Outlook produced by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS). The series analyses and explains the European Union's contribution to the promotion of peace and security internationally, through its various external policies. The study provides an overview of the issues and current state of play. It looks first at the concept of peace and the changing nature of the geopolitical environment as European security faces the most tangible military threat since the end of the Cold War. Russia's war on Ukraine compounds the challenges to peace and security already accentuated by the coronavirus crisis.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023.

In this Institutional Paper the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs brings together into a single document the economic chapters of the European Commission's country reports for the ten enlargement countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The annual country reports assess progress achieved in the Western Balkan countries and Turkey in advancing the necessary political and economic reforms as well as the legal transformation in line with the EU accession criteria. For Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine the annual country reports are released for the first time and assess the level of compliance with the EU accession criteria.

European Committee of the Regions: Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs, Vasarri, S. and Salek-Lipcean, P., European Committee of the Regions, 2022.

The objective of the study is to provide background information, as well as basic facts and figures, to support the CORLEAP co-chair rapporteur's work on the report “The role and place of local democracy and decentralisation in the modernisation and consolidation of democratic processes in the Eastern Partnership countries”. Consistently, the research done provides an overview of the state of local democracy and local self-governance with a focus on decentralization, modernization and consolidation of democratic processes in six Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

Giuashvili, T., European University Institute, 2022.

Russia’s war in Ukraine bears significant implications for the South Caucasus – a region that is strategically important for both Russia and the EU and that is particularly vulnerable to geopolitical turmoil. While it is early to assess how the outcome of the ongoing war will influence the security context in the South Caucasus, the recent developments in the region suggest that significant change is underway. The previous order seems to be challenged, but the shape of the next one still looks uncertain.

European Commission: Eurostat. Publications Office of the European Union, 2022.

The European Union is a leading force in combatting climate change and environmental degradation, in Europe and in the world. A key priority of the EU is delivering the European Green Deal, which has set the blueprint for transforming the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. The European Green Deal sets out a detailed vision to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, safeguard biodiversity, establish a circular economy and eliminate pollution, while boosting the competitiveness of European industry and ensuring a just transition for the regions and workers affected.

Lavrelashvili, T., European Union Institute for Security Studies, 2023.

Georgia’s polarised domestic politics and slow reforms have complicated its relationship with the EU. Autumn 2023 will be a pivotal period for the nation, as the EU will then decide about its candidacy status. While Georgia’s full compliance with the EU’s 12 recommendations is doubtful, extraneous geopolitical factors may influence the bloc’s decision. In the wake of the war in Ukraine, Georgia’s ruling party has refrained from adopting a clear anti-Russian position. Instead, Georgia’s economic dependence on Russia has increased.