EU and Georgia adopt Association Agenda
The EU and Georgia have today adopted the EU-Georgia Association Agenda, at a meeting between the chief negotiators, just the day before the historic signature of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement. The Association Agenda establishes a set of jointly agreed priorities for the period 2014-2016 with a view to preparing for the implementation of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). The Association Agenda replaces the existing EU-Georgia European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan of 2006. It creates an up-to-date practical framework for achieving political association and economic integration between the EU and Georgia. The Association Agenda incorporates political elements, including political dialogue, reforms to strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, respect for human rights, cooperation on foreign and security policy as well as peaceful conflict resolution, and cooperation on Justice, Freedom, and Security. The Association Agenda also incorporates economic and trade elements, including a dedicated DCFTA chapter and cooperation in a number of sectors such as energy, transport, employment and social policy.
The European Union will support Georgia in a number of ways as it implements the Association Agenda. These include financial support, technical expertise and advice, information sharing, and capacity building.