EU-Assoziierungsabkommen-Georgien

EU-Assoziierungsabkommen mit Georgien - Nachrichten >>  

Brussels, 26 June – 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 Neighbourhood 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.

EU-ASSOZIIERUNGSABKOMMEN FÜR GEORGIEN, UKRAINE, MOLDAWIEN UNTERZEICHNET - E.U. ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT
Moldau, Georgien - und die Ukraine: Drei osteuropäische Staaten rücken näher an die EU heran. Auf dem Gipfel in Brüssel wurde das historische Partnerschaftsabkommen mit den Ex-Sowjetrepubliken unterzeichnet. Moskau reagiert prompt. In Sachen Ukraine setzt die EU ein Ultimatum. 
Zäsur für Georgien nach dem Russland-Krieg von 2008: Georgien und Moldau hatten ihrerseits im November ihre Assoziierungs-Abkommen paraphiert. Auch diese beiden Länder standen nach dem Zerfall der Sowjetunion schon in Konflikten mit Russland: Im Falle Moldaus geht es um das abtrünnige Gebiet Transnistrien, das Russland politisch und wirtschaftlich unterstützt. In Georgien hatten sich die Gebiete Abchasien und Südossetien von Tiflis losgesagt, was 2008 zu einem Krieg führte, in den russische Truppen eingriffen. "Dieser Tag markiert den Beginn einer vollkommen neuen Phase in den Beziehungen zwischen Georgien und der Europäischen Union", sagte der Regierungschef des Landes, Irakli Garibashvili. Sein Land habe einen nicht mehr umkehrbaren Weg in Richtung europäischer Integration gewählt. ...
Assoziierungsabkommen Georgien rückt näher an Europa - 
... Mit einem Open-Air-Konzert will Georgien die Unterzeichnung des Assoziierungsabkommens mit der EU am Freitagabend feiern. Der Ort passt zum Anlass: der Europaplatz im Zentrum von Tiflis. ... Russlands Regierung hat sich in den letzten Wochen, anders als im Fall der Ukraine, nicht zu Georgiens Annäherung an die EU und der bevorstehenden Unterzeichnung des Assoziierungsabkommens geäußert. ... Doch 
Oppositionspolitiker Davit Dartschiaschwili traut dem Frieden nicht: „Russland hat Einfluss auf die politische Klasse in Georgien, es hat Leute, die hier die russische Karte spielen können. Russland kann wirtschaftliche Mittel einsetzen, ethnische Minderheiten benutzen oder kriminelle Netzwerke. Gott weiß, welche Taktik Putin anwenden wird."
EU-Osterweiterung: Zehn Jahre 10 plus 15 (Deutschlandfunk - Hintergrund - 01.05.2014) - deutschlandfunk.de
Russische Drohungen: Georgien reicht dem Westen die Hand (Deutschlandfunk - Aktuell - 24.04.2014) - deutschlandfunk.de
Georgien: Wunsch nach Assoziierungsabkommen (Deutschlandfunk - Europa heute - 24.04.2014) - deutschlandfunk.de
Russland droht Ukraine mit "ernsthaften Konsequenzen" - 27.06.2014, zeit.de
Das Assoziierungsabkommen zwischen EU und Ukraine ist kaum unterschrieben, da kommt die Drohung aus Russland: Die Ukraine werde die Folgen spüren. ... Die Folgen der Unterzeichnung für die Ukraine und Moldau würden "sicherlich ernst sein", sagte Russlands Vizeaußenminister Grigori Karasin. ... Georgiens Regierungschef Irakli Garibaschwili: "Blaupause für die europäische Integration Georgiens". Georgien wolle "ein volles Mitglied der europäischen Familie werden". Iurie Leanca, Moldawien: "Wir wollen zur europäischen Familie gehören. Wir wissen, wie anspruchsvoll dieser Weg sein wird. Aber zweifeln Sie nicht an unserer Entschlossenheit." ...
27.06.2014, 
Viele Georgier sehen ihre Zukunft in Europa und nicht in Russland. Ihrem großen Nachbarn trauen sie nicht. Visafreiheit im Schengenraum könnte Bewohner der abtrünnigen Gebiete Abchasien und Südossetien locken. ... Unterschiedliche Vorstellungen über den Umgang mit Russland sind auch einer der vielen Streitpunkte zwischen dem Regierungsbündnis „Georgischer Traum“ und der oppositionellen Vereinten Nationalen Bewegung, der bis vor kurzem Micheil Saakaschwili vorstand, Präsident Georgiens von 2004 bis ins vorige Jahr. ... Die Annäherung an die EU sieht Petriaschwili, Sondergesandter für die Beziehungen mit Russland, auch als Weg, um das „Vertrauen“ der Bewohner der abtrünnigen Gebiete zurückzuerlangen: Er hofft schon für das kommende Jahr auf Visumfreiheit für Georgien innerhalb des Schengen-Raums. Dann, argumentiert er, würden für die Menschen in Abchasien und Südossetien georgische Pässe wieder attraktiv. „Sie haben die Wahl: Integration mit Georgien oder Isolation.“ ... Giga Bokeria von der Vereinten Nationalen Bewegung wertet es als „strategischen Fehler“ des Westens, jetzt Putin nicht eine „strategische Botschaft“ zu senden und Georgien eine klare Beitrittsperspektive zur Nato zu geben: „Solange der Kreml seine Haltung zur Souveränität Georgiens nicht ändert, sollten wir ein Ort der Auseinandersetzung mit Russland sein.“ ... 
Mit Hoffnung und Skepsis schauen die Georgier auf Europa. Und auf den Nachbarn Russland, der die Annäherung zur EU verhindern will. Schon der erste Europäer war ein Georgier, der sich in Dmanisi, nicht weit von der heutigen Hauptstadt Tiflis, niederließ. Der Vorfahr des Menschen kam als Emigrant vor rund 1,7 Millionen Jahren aus Afrika in den Kaukasus. ... Kaum ein Georgier wagt, eine klare Prognose über die Reaktion aus Russland abzugeben. „Wir sind von unserem Nachbarn alles gewöhnt“, meint der Chef der Denkfabrik GFSIS, Alexander Rondeli. Seit dem Zusammenbruch der UdSSR vor 23 Jahren wurde georgisches Gebiet besetzt, Krieg entfacht und mehrfach ein Embargo verhängt. Noch sei Russland nicht bereit, Georgien aus seinem Einflussbereich zu entlassen. Jeder Fuß Boden, der an die EU falle, sei – im Denken des Kreml – endgültig verloren. ... Rondeli zum Kreml/Russland: „Wir erklären immer den russischen Staat zum gewalttätigen Bösewicht und stellen ihm das unschuldige Volk gegenüber“. Tatsächlich sei aber auch das Volk von jenem Imperialismusvirus befallen, das den Anrainern das Leben zur Hölle mache. Zeige sich die Nähe von Volk und Staat nicht gerade in der überwältigenden Zustimmung zu der Intervention in der Ukraine? ... Moskau versucht seit anderthalb Jahren, mithilfe der orthodoxen georgischen Kirche die Stimmung langfristig noch umzukehren, Georgiens Traditionalisten doch noch für Putins Projekt einer „Internationale der Reaktion“ zu gewinnen. Aufhänger sind Themen wie gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe, Sexualkundeunterricht in Schulen – kurzum: westliche Verkommenheit. ... Die Integration in den Westen sei die Wahl der Georgier gewesen, betont Minister Petriaschwili. 85 Prozent entschieden sich für EU und Nato. ... Beim Abschlusskonzert letzte Woche am Konservatorium in Tiflis stimmten die Studenten zum Ausklang die EU-Hymne an. Der ganze Saal erhob sich und sang mit. Er sei überwältigt, sagte ein zufälliger Gast aus dem alten Europa: von der magischen Kraft der EU als Hoffnungsträger.
Trotz der andauernden Spannungen mit Russland hat die EU Assoziierungsabkommen mit der Ukraine, Georgien und Moldawien geschlossen. Die Unterzeichnungen fanden am Freitag in Brüssel statt. Die drei Regierungen zeigen sich sehr glücklich, streben aber längerfristig eine EU-Mitgliedschaft an. «Zukünftige Generationen in Ukraine, Moldawien und Georgien werden sich an diesen Tag erinnern», sagte EU-Ratspräsident Herman Van Rompuy auf dem EU-Gipfel. «Das ist ein grosser Tag für Europa.» ... Die EU hat den drei Staaten bisher jedoch keine spätere Mitgliedschaft versprochen. Doch EU-Kommissionspräsident José Manuel Barroso sagte: «Diese Abkommen bedeuten nicht den Endpunkt der Zusammenarbeit der EU mit ihren Partnern. Das ist nicht das Ende des Weges, sondern der Beginn einer Reise, auf die sich die EU und die drei Partner gemeinsam begeben.» ... 
Ukraine, Moldova, And Georgia Sign EU Accords - 30.06.2014, rferl.org, mit Video
... Garibashvili said Abkhazia and South Ossetia -- Georgian breakaway regions recognized as independent states by Russia -- would also see the advantages of closer ties with the EU. ... Among other things, the agreements will allow the three countries unfettered access to the EU's market of 500 million consumers.
The pact - which would bind the three countries more closely to the West both economically and politically - is at the heart of the crisis in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said making Ukraine choose between Russia and the EU would split it in two.
Analysis - Steve Rosenberg, BBC News Moscow: There is a general sense of irritation or perhaps even anger here that Moscow has failed to convince countries like Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia not to sign this historic free trade deal today with the EU. Moscow has economic concerns about these deals - it is worried that the Russian market could be flooded by cheap goods from the EU that would hit Russian producers. ...
... The agreements are the EU's way of extending influence to its neighbors without offering actual membership. ... The agreements gradually liberalize trade with partners, meaning countries end up with unfettered access to the 28-nation bloc's 500 million consumers ... The EU also provides technical help and funds to help countries adapt to its regulations and allow businesses to bid for lucrative EU public works contracts. In return, the EU requires that countries meet its standards on human rights and democracy, fight corruption, strengthens the rule of law and reforms its economy. ... Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are also agreeing to considerable domestic reforms that will challenge entrenched interests among business and the political class. 
Georgia's long road to Europe - 27.06.2014, bbc.com
Georgia has signed an association agreement with the EU just as its trading ties with Russia are picking up.
A similar path was chosen by Noe Zhordania, the leader of the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia, created after the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1918. "What do we have to offer to the cultural treasure of the European nations? A 2,000-year-old national culture, a democratic system and natural wealth. "Soviet Russia offered us a military alliance, which we rejected," he said. "We have taken different paths. They are heading for the East and we for the West." But his aspirations were halted when in 1921 the Red Army invaded the country and Georgia became a Soviet republic.
Almost a century later, many in Georgia regard the EU deal as a historic opportunity. ... But Tamara Kovziridze, a former lead Georgian negotiator with the EU, says that in the short term the benefits of this agreement are more likely to be political than economic. "This has enormous political relevance. The events in Ukraine have demonstrated that Russia does worry about EU integration," she said at a recent public discussion on Georgia-EU relations. ...
CHISINAU, Moldova — A new showdown is looming over former Soviet states’ ties to Europe — the same trigger that has ignited months of violence in Ukraine. ... Russia has said it will flex its considerable muscle to squeeze any nation in the former Soviet orbit that seeks a future with Europe. Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are facing intense pressure ahead of the deal’s signing, including threats of export bans and tightened immigration rules, as well as the specter of strengthened separatist movements. But the warnings may be backfiring, with leaders in all three countries saying Moscow’s ominous tone demonstrates more than ever why they need to pick a different path. ...
Ukraine: Defying Russia, Ukraine Signs E.U. Trade Pact - 27.06.2014, nytimes.com
BRUSSELS — Dealing a defiant blow to the Kremlin, President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine signed a long-delayed trade pact with Europe on Friday that Moscow had bitterly opposed. He then declared he would like his country to one day become a full member of the European Union. 
Georgia, EU Sign Association Agreement - 27.06.2014, Civil Georgia
Georgia and the European Union signed Association Agreement, including deep and comprehensive free trade area (DCFTA), on June 27 in the margins of the European Council meeting in Brussels. ... The agreement, which is designed for gradual approximation of signatory countries to EU standards and regulations in broad range of areas among them trade, customs procedures and quality controls, does not give a pledge to eventual membership in the EU; but the reforms and approximation process, envisaged by the agreement, are viewed as preparation for potential membership sometime in the future. ... Speaking at the signing ceremony President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said: “These are not just any other agreements, but milestones in history of our relations and for the Europe as a whole. In Kiev and elsewhere people gave their lives for this closer link to the European Union.” ... The Georgian Parliament is expected to ratify the agreement in second half of July. Although it may take several years before all EU-member states ratify the agreement, the treaty envisages provisional application parts of the agreement even before EU members and the European Parliament complete ratification process. ... Following Georgian ratification of the Association Agreement, provisional application could start tentatively by October, 2014. ... The voluminous agreement is accompanied by about three dozen of annexes, which list hundreds of relevant EU legislation to be taken by Georgia by a specific date with timeframes ranging from two to ten years. ... In July the EU plans to adopt new assistance programs for Georgia worth EUR 101 million to support reforms in the justice sector and implementation of the DCFTA, as well as to fund programs for small and medium enterprises. ... Meanwhile in Moscow, Russian President’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that signing of the Association Agreements by Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with the EU is their sovereign right, but Russia will have to take measures if it negatively affects on its economy. ...  According to the EU estimations, Georgian agricultural products will become more attractive on the EU market after the removal of EU import duties worth EUR 5.7 million on basic agricultural products and EUR 0.5 million on processed agricultural products. 
Georgian exports to the EU stood at USD 253 million in January-May 2014, a 58% year-on-year increase, according to the Georgian state statistics office, Geostat.
Georgian exports to CIS-member countries in January-May 2014 stood at USD 627.6 million of which Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia were Georgia’s largest exporting markets with USD 240.4 million, USD 129.7 million and USD 108.3 million, respectively.
Schritte bis zum Abkommen:
European Commission President Visits Georgia - 13.06.2014, Civil Georgia
European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, arrived in Georgia on Thursday after visiting Moldova, to reiterate support as Tbilisi, along with Chisinau, will sign the Association Agreement with the EU on June 27. Speaking at a news conference after meeting Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Barroso said that the EU is ready to engage in discussions with Russia if the latter has concerns and wants to “clarify” some of the aspects of the Association Agreement, which also includes deep and comprehensive free trade treaty. ... Barroso stressed: “The European Union is imposing nothing on Georgia. Georgia has made a choice and we are here to support the choice of Georgia.” ... The European Commission President said that Georgia “belongs to the European family of nations” and the best way for Georgia to achieve approximation with the EU is to continue reforms. He said that Georgia has been a “frontrunner” in EU’s Eastern Partnership “thanks to the commitment of the successive governments.” ... Barroso also said that it’s important to avoid “excessive polarization”, which can be detrimental to the “good image that Georgia has in terms of being frontrunner in the Eastern Partnership.” ... The Georgian President awarded the European Commission President Barroso with the Order of the Golden Fleece “for firm support to Georgia’s national interests on the international arena and for contribution to development of the EU-Georgia relations.” ... 
It is Georgia’s sovereign right to sign the Association Agreement with the EU, but it should also understand possible consequences, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, said on May 22 and pointed at increasing Georgian exports to Russia. ... 
Georgia aims at being “a leader in both reforms and integration” with Europe, President Giorgi Margvelashvili told the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius and called for a donors’ conference next year to support Georgia on its path of closer political and economic association with the EU. ... The declaration also reads that the participants “stress the need of the full implementation of the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement and the importance of the presence of the EUMM in Georgia. Participants emphasize the need of the full implementation of the mandate of the EUMM and reiterate their support for the Geneva International Discussions.” ... Politicians in Tbilisi from both the ruling and opposition parties were praising initialling of the AA/DCFTA as a “historic” moment for Georgia with UNM lawmakers stressing that it was the result of the work of the previous administration which was then continued by the new one. Some government ministers, in particular the Foreign Minister as well as Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani, have also acknowledged the role of the previous administration in this process. ... 
Georgia, EU Initial Association Agreement - 28.11.2013, Civil Georgia
Georgia’s Association Agreement (AA) with the EU, also including deep and comprehensive free trade treaty (DCFTA), was technically initialed in Vilnius on November 28 on the first day of the Eastern Partnership summit. A formal ceremony of initialing of 1,000-page AA/DCFTA will take place on the second day of the summit, November 29, with participation of Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, as well as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. Georgian leadership says its “ambitious goal” is to have AA/DCFTA signed by September, 2014. ...
 - 25.07.2013, Civil Georgia
Margvelashvili: Georgia Sticks with its 'Ambitious Plan' to Sign AA with EU Next Year  - 22.11.2013, Civil Georgia
No matter of difficulties that country may face, Georgia will remain committed to its “ambitious plan” to sign the Association Agreement with the EU within a year after it will be initialed at the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius next week, President Margvelashvili said on November 22. “The Georgian society, the Georgian political spectrum are united that Georgia is a member of the European family. We have explicitly stressed that this is an issue over which the Georgian society is consolidated, therefore we will together overcome any difficulty or challenge that we may face and the ambitious plan that we have – to sign the Association Agreement within a year after initialing – remains the main strategy of our government,” Margvelashvili told journalists while visiting a military base in Vaziani outside Tbilisi. ... New secretary of National Security Council, Irina Imerlishvili, said after initialing of the Association Agreement Georgia will “cooperate intensively” with Western partners to have this agreement signed within a year. ... 
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle welcomed “the substantive completion” of the negotiations on the future Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia, which also includes establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA). ... 
“We wish to reaffirm that Georgia is an important partner for the European Union and we are committed to further deepening our very dynamic relations,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Štefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood said in a joint statement. ... 
President Saakashvili said the European Parliament’s resolution on Georgia, which is calling on key EU institutions to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as “occupied territories”, “is a historic” document, which “creates legal basis for irreversible unification of Georgia.” “This resolution is important and decisive in our struggle for Georgia’s eventual liberation, de-occupation and European future from several points of view. First, what is the most important in this resolution is that it clearly reflects that Russia carries out illegal military occupation of Georgia’s regions,” Saakashvili said. ... The second issue on which Saakashvili emphasized was the part of the resolution which says that “ethnic cleansing and forcible demographic changes have taken place in the areas under the effective control of the occupying force.” ... Saakashvili also said that with this resolution “a very important stage has been crowned on which we have been working since the war” with Russia in August, 2008. “After the Stalin era, Russia has invaded a neighboring country for the first time, but failed to fully occupy this country and overthrow its government,” Saakashvili said. “This is unimaginable geopolitical knock over from the Russia’s perspective. With its unity, firmness and willingness to resist, the Georgian people have actually made a miracle,” he said, adding that “huge courage of our people triggers admiration of the European people” causing their support towards the small nation.
European Parliament resolution of 17 November, 2011 containing the European Parliament's recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the negotiations of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (2011/2133(INI))
European Union has unveiled an Eastern Partnership initiative offering deeper ties to six eastern European states, including Georgia, but not an eventual membership. European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso and Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said at a news conference in Brussels on December 3, that the bloc planned to allocate total of EUR 600 million for the period of 2010 and 2013 for this “ambitious initiative.” EUR 350 million will be a fresh funding, while the rest will come as a result of redeployment of funds from already existing EU’s aid projects in the region.
The Eastern Partnership, which targets Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, aims at upgrading EU’s political engagement with these countries in number of areas, including the prospect for association agreements, integration into the EU economy and easier travel to the EU.
European Commission President Barroso said that the August war in Georgia prompted European Union to act in this direction. He, however, repeated for several times during the press conference that the initiative “does not aim at building spheres of influence, drawing any kind of new division line in Europe.” Barroso said that the initiative was a demonstration of the European Union’s “soft power.”
“Stability and prosperity in the 21st century will be brought about by economics, not by missiles; by dialogue, not by demonstration of force; by partnerships and multilateralism and not by unilateralism,” he said.
He said that Eastern Partnership was a way towards “association agreements” with those partners which seek “much closer relationship with the European Union; the prospective of deep and comprehensive free trade area; the prospective of mobility and security pact to improve mobility of citizens in a more secure space and also progress in energy security.”
 Benita Ferrero-Waldner said that the initiative, which she said was EU’s important political investment, would be “flexible and tailored to each partner’s needs and capacity.”
“In each case the European Union will seek to offer the maximum possible, given of course political realities and the state of reform process in the partner country concerned,” she said.
The Easter Partnership, she said, would go ahead both in bilateral and multilateral directions.
In frames of bilateral direction, the initiative envisages the Comprehensive Institutions Building Program, through which EU will identify “weak spots” in each of the partner state and then tackle those weaknesses “through training, technical assistance and equipment where necessary” to achieve much needed reform targets.
 Also in the bilateral track, the Eastern Partnership will offer so called association agreements to those partner states, “who meet the essential conditions of the Neighborhood Policy,” Ferrero-Waldner said. That would also include deep and comprehensive free trade agreement for those willing and ready to take on commitments with the EU that this agreement entails.
EU will also encourage in frames of the initiative to develop a free trade network between the partners states which could in the longer term join up into a so called Neighbourhood Economic Community.
The multilateral approach involves helping partner countries to get closer to EU standards. “They [all six partner states] have different objectives and state of development, but the EU standards they are trying to approach are indeed the same for all of them,” she said.
In this regard, she continued, EU was offering five major initiatives, so called “flagship initiatives” that involves border management programs; programs for small and medium-size enterprises; integration of electricity markets, energy efficiency and renewable energy; developing plans for a Southern Energy Corridor and response to disasters.
The European Commission said in a statement that European Neighborhood Policy has been an important platform and the backbone of EU-Georgia relations; “however, the conflict in Georgia in August 2008 has shown the need for deeper and more intensive EU involvement in the South Caucasus region, with a need of stronger regional cooperation.”
In November, EU decided to start visa facilitation talks with Georgia; talks will also involve matters related with readmission agreement with Georgia. It is an EU’s practice to oblige countries to sign a re-admission agreement in exchange for granting them visa facilitation.
The European Commission also said that Ukraine, which has already been offered association agreement, is “a front-runner among our Eastern partners and already has close bilateral relations with the EU.”

EU-Assoziierungsabkommen mit Georgien - Inhalte >>  

ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT - eeas.europa.eu/georgia/
between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member
States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part

++++ The Association Agreement in a nutshell:
>The Association Agreement (AA) aims to deepen political and economic relations between Georgia and the
EU, and to gradually integrate Georgia into the EU Internal Market-the largest single market in the world. This
includes the setting up of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which is a core part of the
Agreement.
> The AA is a concrete way to activate the potential of EU-Georgian relations, focusing on support to core
reforms, on economic recovery and growth, governance and sector cooperation.
> The AA constitutes a reform agenda for Georgia, based around a comprehensive programme of Georgia’s
approximation of its legislation to EU norms, around which all partners of Georgia can align themselves and
focus their assistance.
> The AA negotiations were not a stand-alone exercise. EU assistance to Georgia is linked with the reform
agenda as it emerges from the result of negotiations.
++++ Basic principles:
The EU-Georgia Association Agreement is part of a new generation of Association Agreements with Eastern Partnership
countries and provides a long-term foundation for future EU-Georgia relations without excluding any possible future
developments in line with the Treaty on European Union.
From the outset, it was agreed that the Agreement should take an ambitious and innovative approach, include a
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area and go qualitatively beyond the current Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement (PCA) wherever possible. It contains binding, rule-based provisions and cooperation developed further
than in traditional agreements and it is wide-ranging, covering all areas of interest.
Special attention has been given to implementation and subsequent enforcement issues, including clear timelines
and the establishment of an appropriate administrative and institutional structure, so as to create the necessary
predictability for economic operators.
++++ Key elements:
This ambitious and pioneering Agreement represents a concrete way to exploit the dynamics in EU-Georgia relations,
focusing on support to core reforms, on economic recovery and growth, governance and sector cooperation in
areas such as, for example, energy, transport, environment protection, industrial and small and medium enterprise
cooperation, social development and protection, equal rights, consumer protection, education, training and youth as
well as cultural cooperation.
Key elements include:
> Values and Principles: : common values, namely democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms as well as the rule of law, a market economy and sustainable development;
> Enhanced cooperation in foreign and security policy, with the focus on regional issues, weapons of mass
destruction (WMD), non-proliferation and disarmament, conflict prevention, and crisis management;
> A DCFTA, which goes significantly further than classical forms of economic integration, offering not only
improved trade and investment opportunities but also assistance in trade-related reforms with the aim to
contribute to economic recovery and growth and to better integration of the Georgian economy with the world
markets;
> Justice, Freedom and Security, covering the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms, protection of personal data, cooperation on migration, the fight against money laundering and
terrorism, illicit drugs, and the fight against organised crime and corruption;
> Enhanced cooperation in some 28 key sector policy areas, including in the fields of: economic dialogue;
management of public finances and financial control; taxation; statistics; transport; energy cooperation;
environment; climate action; industrial and enterprise policy and mining; company law, accounting and
auditing and corporate governance; financial services; cooperation in the field of information society; tourism;
agriculture and rural development; fisheries and maritime governance; cooperation in research, technological
development and demonstration; consumer policy; employment, social policy and equal opportunities;
public health; education, training and youth; cooperation in the cultural field; cooperation in the audiovisual
and media fields; cooperation in the field of sport and physical activity; civil society cooperation; regional
development, cross-border and regional level cooperation; civil protection based on gradual approximation
with the EU acquis and also – where relevant – with international norms and standards.
++++ How will citizens benefit from the Association Agreement?
Once signed and implemented, concrete benefits can flow from the Agreement. Examples include the better protection
of consumers through the higher quality and improved safety of locally-grown agricultural products; better business
opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises through the opening of markets; better access to improved health
services; and energy savings thanks to more efficient use of energy resources and the development of renewable energy
sources; a better functioning judiciary and thanks to the strengthened rule of law, demanding accountability rules for
public decision-makers and increased transparency.
++++ State of Play and content of the Association Agreement
On 29 November 2013 the EU and Georgia initialled the text of the Association Agreement, which included provisions on
the establishment of a DCFTA as an integral part. Both sides expressed their common commitment to undertake further
technical steps, required to prepare the Association Agreement, including the DCFTA for signature.
The EU-Georgia Association Agreement counts about 1000 pages and is comprised of:
> 8 Titles which concern General Principles; Political Dialogue and Reform, Cooperation in the Field of
Foreign and Security Policy; Justice, Freedom and Security; Economic Cooperation; Other Cooperation Policies;
Trade and Trade-related Matters (DCFTA); Financial Assistance and Anti-Fraud and Control Provision as well as
Institutional, General and Final Provisions;
> 34 Annexes laying down the relevant EU legislation to be taken over by a specific date; and
> 3 Protocols.

Östliche Partnerschaft - Eastern partnership >>  

Die Östliche Partnerschaft - Stand 17.04.2014, auswaertiges-amt.de/
Die Staaten der Östlichen Partnerschaft: Ukraine, Moldau, Georgien, Belarus, Armenien und Aserbaidschan 
Mit der Östlichen Partnerschaft werden die Beziehungen der EU zu ihren direkten Nachbarn auf eine neue Grundlage gestellt und in allen Bereichen ausgebaut. 
Deutschland und die Europäische Union haben ein besonderes Interesse an den Entwicklungen in ihrer unmittelbaren Nachbarschaft. Unter dem Dach der europäischen Nachbarschaftspolitik (engl. European Neighborhood Policy, ENP) fördert die EU deshalb die politische, wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Annäherung mit den Nachbarstaaten, ebenso wie die Beziehungen der Nachbarstaaten untereinander. Im Jahr 2009 haben Deutschland und seine europäischen Partner gemeinsam mit den Nachbarstaaten Ukraine, Moldau, Georgien, Belarus, Armenien und Aserbaidschan die "Östliche Partnerschaft" ins Leben gerufen (Prag, 7. Mai 2009). Die EU-Staats- und Regierungschefs hatten die Gründung auf ihrem Gipfel am 19./20 März 2009 beschlossen, um die politische Assoziierung und die wirtschaftliche Integration mit den genannten östlichen Nachbarstaaten voranzubringen. ... Die Östliche Partnerschaft ist das ambitionierteste Angebot zur Zusammenarbeit, innerhalb der Nachbarschaftspolitik der EU. Sie fußt zunächst auf dem Abschluss umfangreicher Assoziierungsabkommen mit der EU, deren Bestandteil "tiefe und umfassende" Freihandelsabkommen (deep and comprehensive free trade agreements, DCFTA) sind. Die Assoziierungsabkommen werden die bestehenden und teilweise veralteten Partnerschafts- und Kooperationsabkommen (PKA) mit den Partnern ersetzen und die Beziehungen zur EU auf eine neue Grundlage stellen. 
Sie werden seit 2010 mit allen östlichen Partnern außer Belarus verhandelt. ...
Wer steuert die Östliche Partnerschaft?
Treffen der Staats- und Regierungschefs der Östlichen Partnerschaft finden alle zwei Jahre statt. Diese Gipfeltreffen dienen der politischen Steuerung. Nach dem Prager Gründungsgipfel 2009 konzentrierte sich der zweite Gipfel am 29. und 30. September 2011 in Warschau vor allem auf die weitere Ausgestaltung der Partnerschaft: So wurde unter anderem eine Intensivierung der Zusammenarbeit in den Bereichen Wirtschaft und Handel vereinbart. Litauen war am 28./29. November 2013 in Wilna Gastgeber des dritten Gipfels der Östlichen Partnerschaft, der Gipfel 2015 wird in Riga stattfinden. Treffen der Außenminister der Östlichen Partnerschaft finden jährlich statt, zuletzt am 22. Juli 2013 in Brüssel, mit deutscher Beteiligung. Deutschland setzt sich auch in anderen Formaten im Kreis der besonders engagierten EU-Mitglieder für eine Weiterentwicklung der Östlichen Partnerschaft ein. Der Europäische Auswärtige Dienst (EAD) hat das Mandat für die Verhandlungsführung erhalten und setzt im Rahmen der politischen Vorgaben gemeinsam mit der Europäischen Kommission die Östliche Partnerschaft EU-seitig um.
Dokumente zur Östlichen Partnerschaft
Georgien: Beziehungen zu Deutschland - Stand: Februar 2014, auswaertiges-amt.de
Politische Beziehungen
Deutschland war das erste Land der Europäischen Gemeinschaft, das Georgien nach der Unabhängigkeit 1991 am 23. März 1992 völkerrechtlich anerkannte und am 13. April 1992 diplomatische Beziehungen aufnahm. Deutschland hat 1992 als erster Staat eine Botschaft in Georgien eröffnet. Die engen und vertrauensvollen Beziehungen zwischen Deutschen und Georgiern haben eine fast 200-jährige Tradition, die zurückgeht auf die Einwanderung schwäbischer Bauern ab 1817. In Deutschland bleibt der Anteil des früheren sowjetischen Außenministers und späteren Präsidenten Georgiens Schewardnadse an der deutschen Wiedervereinigung unvergessen. Deutschland wiederum genießt in Georgien Ansehen und Sympathie. Die erheblichen entwicklungspolitischen Leistungen der Bundesregierung ebenso wie auch die vielfältigen kulturellen, akademischen und persönlichen Kontakte werden in der georgischen Gesellschaft sehr geschätzt.
Deutschland war als Koordinator der Freundesgruppe des Generalsekretärs der Vereinten Nationen seit langem intensiv um eine friedliche Konfliktlösung für die abtrünnige georgische Republik Abchasien bemüht.
Bundeskanzlerin Merkel besuchte wenige Tage nach dem Ende des georgisch-russischen Krieges im August 2008 Tiflis. Deutschland zählte zu den ersten Staaten, die Georgien nach Ausbruch des Krieges Hilfe für humanitäre Projekte zugunsten der Opfer und Vertriebenen und zur Unterstützung des Wiederaufbaus im Land leisteten. Deutschland beteiligt sich auch aktiv an der EU-Beobachtermission (EUMM).
Im Rahmen der Europäischen Union setzt sich Deutschland für eine Annäherung Georgiens und der Region insgesamt an Europa ein. Deutschland hat die Aufnahme von Georgien, Armenien und Aserbaidschan in die europäische Nachbarschaftspolitik sowie die EU-Entscheidung zur Schaffung einer Östlichen Partnerschaft aktiv unterstützt.
Die Bundesregierung fördert die Integration der Gesamtregion auch durch die deutsche Kaukasus-Initiative im Rahmen der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit.
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