Georgia’s commitments as described in the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan (ENP AP) involve reforms in almost all policy areas. While the government has already achieved tangible results in several policy directions, more action must be taken in many other fields. This report summarizes the government’s achievements and future challenges as perceived by the incumbent government, the opposition and NGO representatives. The report is based solely on information provided by respondents and focuses on policy rather than political issues. The first part of the report outlines success stories as told by the three sides, while the second focuses on policy issues deemed to be in urgent need of attention. The report concludes with a summary of opinions on the government’s achievements and the challenges still to come. While interviewees were asked to comment on positive and negative policy developments vis-à-vis the ENP AP, several also offered opinions on the actual content of the ENP AP as well. Levan Ramishvili of Liberty Institute questioned the importance of the ENP AP as a benchmark document for Georgian policy reform. He argued that conformity to EU policies, particularly in the spheres of agriculture and labor affairs, will undermine the competitiveness of the Georgian economy. Salome Zurabishvili of Sakartvelos Gza (Georgia’s Way) spoke about the ENP AP as a very important document for Georgia’s political and economic development. However, she also noted that the ENP AP is not the product of negotiation between equal partners and that the government failed to take account of Georgia’s national interests in the action Plan, particularly insofar as the visa regime could have been simplified and special work migration arrangements negotiated with the EU. According to Tinatin Khidasheli of the Republican Party, the ENP fails to secure EU assistance in the areas of institution-building where local expertise is insufficient, namely the reform of independent regulatory agencies and the establishment of arbitration courts.
