EU-Georgia Association Agreement fully in force
Monday, July 4
“The Association Agreement aims to deepen political and economic relations between the EU and Georgia, also through the creation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA),” the message of the European Commission read.
“By removing customs tariffs and quotas and by comprehensively approximating trade-related laws and regulations to the standards of the European Union, the Agreement offers Georgia a framework for boosting trade and economic growth. This will facilitate Georgia's progressive integration with the EU single market.”
Georgia and the EU signed the Association Agreement in June 2014. Substantial parts of the Association Agreement have been provisionally applied since September 1, 2014.
“With the full entry into force of our Association Agreement with Georgia, the EU-Georgia relationship becomes both broader and deeper, to the benefit of us all,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Polity Federica Mogherini said. “The EU is looking forward to further strengthening its cooperation with a country that is still working on crucial reforms in areas such as the rule of law, the accountability rules for public decision-makers and transparency.”
In turn, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that Georgian citizens will increasingly be able to reap the benefits of closer association with the EU as a result of the Association Agreement.
“Better business opportunities for Georgian small- and medium-sized enterprises, improved safety of locally-grown agricultural products and enhanced energy efficiency: these are just a few areas where we already saw promising signs during the provisional application of the Agreement, which can now progress even further,” he said. “Let me encourage Georgia to make full use of the substantial assistance - around 100 million euros per year - that the EU is providing to support the country's reform agenda.”
(Trend.az)