Proposal for a Council Decision on the Union position within the Cooperation Council established by the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and Georgia, with regard to the adoption of a Recommendation on the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agenda

A Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part and Georgia of the other part, based on commitments to shared values and effective implementation of political, economic and institutional reforms, was signed on 22 April 1996 and entered into force on 1 July 1999. A joint EU-Georgia European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Action Plan based on the PCA lays out the strategic objectives and encourages and supports Georgia’s objective of further integration into European economic and social structures.

Georgia is a partner country within the European Neighbourhood Policy. This has changed the context of relations between the European Union and Georgia in a significant and positive way. The EU and Georgia have in the meantime finalised negotiations for an Association Agreement to succeed the PCA. The negotiations of the Association Agreement were completed on 22 July 2013, and the Agreement was initialled on 29 November 2013 on the occasion of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius.

The Association Agreement will significantly deepen Georgia’s political association and economic integration with the EU and includes the gradual implementation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)360: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:360:FIN

ESO: Background information: Council clears way for signing Association Agreements with Georgia and the Republic of Moldova http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-council-clears-way-for-signing-association-agreements-with-georgia-and-the-republic-of-moldova/

---