The European Commission has identified four EU candidate countries—Ukraine, Moldova, Albania, and Montenegro—for which roadmaps will be prepared as part of the European integration process. As European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated, Georgia is not among them.
“Georgia is a candidate country only on paper. I regret to say this. Given such strong support for European integration among the Georgian people, I wish Georgia were at the same level as Moldova and Ukraine.”
Marta Kos also noted that the future format of relations with Georgia will largely depend on how EU member states envision its future: “Much of what is currently happening in Georgia will be reflected in the enlargement reports to be published in late October. You can imagine the direction this will take.”
Georgia applied for EU membership back in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in December 2023.
Relations between Tbilisi and Brussels began deteriorating noticeably following a series of legislative bills initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party. In particular, the foreign agent law sparked widespread protests across the country and drew sharp criticism from the European Union.
In November 2024, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the government would not put the opening of EU accession negotiations on the agenda until 2028.