The 8^th recommendation of the European Commission relating to Georgia's application for the EU membership calls for the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups and an effective response to the incidents of violence. The European Commission unequivocally indicates the need to bring perpetrators and instigators of violence against vulnerable groups to justice. The mentioned recommendation was clarified once again by the European Commission on September 7, 2022, when it emphatically demanded that the organizers of the July 5, 2021 violence be brought to justice.[1]

Nevertheless, in the plan presented by Georgian Dream relating to the implementation of the 12-point recommendation of the European Commission, nothing is indicated about the steps to be taken to identify and bring the organizers of planned violence against vulnerable groups to justice. The plan is only limited to the obligation to disseminate information "about the investigation of all the relevant cases", which narrows the recommendation of the European Commission and does not fully correspond to its spirit or content.

In order to evaluate the progress of the implementation of the plan by the ruling party, the Democracy Research Institute applied to the Parliament of Georgia. In response, we received a confirmation of "active work" for the implementation of the plan and a promise to provide more specific information "in the near future". Until now, no information can be found in open sources about the work done by the Parliament of Georgia in the direction of the implementation of the 8^th recommendation of the European Commission.

Accordingly, Georgian Dream has not implemented even its own plan regarding the 8^th recommendation of the European Commission.

 

[1] eeas.europa.eu (website), Joint press statement following the 7th Association Council meeting between the EU and Georgia. Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/georgia/joint-press-statement-following-7th-association-council-meeting-between-eu-and_en?s=221