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european neighbourhood policy
Transparency International
Transparency International
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ENP_TI_Georgia.pdf
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Abstract
The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is intended to provide a structure through which the European Union (EU) can help encourage and facilitate ENP member states to engage in a wide range of political and economic reforms. Following on from the EU-Georgia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, the ENP Action Plan was adopted by the Georgian government in 2006. The Action Plan set targets for reform for the years 2006-2011 in a wide range of areas. Georgia’s reform agenda is closely connected to its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The reforms aim to push Georgia towards a more democratic and lawful society, to align the Georgian economy and legal system with European and international standards, and to make Georgia a better neighbour, and a more likely future member, of the EU. By accepting and formulating a specific Action Plan, the Georgian government accepted a set of goals for the reform process and a benchmark against which that process could be judged. As such, continuous assessment of Georgia’s implementation of the Action Plan has been essential to the proper working of the ENP process and the reform agenda itself. Georgian civil society organisations (CSOs) have been at the centre of that process, through monitoring the Action Plan implementation. The European Commission also published assessments in April 2008 and April 2009. This report considers three main elements of the Georgian reform agenda: (1) the legal and judicial process; (2) reforms to the civil service; and (3) implementation of international anti-corruption conventions. The first two of the reforms are considered here because they continue to be a particular source of concern in Georgia. A well-functioning judiciary is vital for its impact on democracy, human rights and economic growth. Reforms in the judiciary and the rule of law are at the core of a functioning liberal democracy because they protect individual liberties. These reforms are essential to economic development because they protect property rights and make entrepreneurial activities possible. Yet, despite many changes undertaken in Georgia’s judicial system in the past years, it continues to be one of the least-trusted institutions in the country. The civil service is similarly important, as it is at the core of the government’s ability to deliver on its promises. Reforms to the civil service are key to the operation of all branches of government and make government social services and social protections possible. While those working in the system prior to the 2003 revolution have been significantly, if not dramatically, replaced by the current government, the rules governing the civil service and much of the culture they produced have remained. Finally, since corruption acts as a poison to any reform process and is corrosive to efficiency and equality in public and private life, the anti-corruption strategy was central to the Action Plan. While many aspects of the government’s anti-corruption strategy have been successful, it is clear that continued vigilance is essential. Therefore, the ENP Action Plan’s requirement to implement the recommendations of the Council of Europe Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) remains highly relevant.
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2010
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With permission of the license/copyright holder