Feb 26.02.2013 – Yesterday in Tbilisi, Georgia, Commissioner Malmström handed the Action Plan for Visa Liberalisation over to Georgia’s authorities.

The presentation of the Action Plan represents a further step towards full visa liberalisation. It clearly sets out all technical conditions to be met by Georgia before the possible establishment of a visa-free travel regime.

“I want to congratulate the Georgian authorities for their efforts made so far in pursuing the necessary reforms and making the start of the visa dialogue and the delivery of this Action Plan possible. This is yet another step towards visa-free travel for Georgian citizens and the shared goal of closer integration between the EU and Georgia”, declared Cecilia Malmström, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs.

The action plan is structured in four blocks of measures dealing respectively with document security, border and migration management, public order and security, and relevant external relations issues.

It contains a first set of benchmarks concerning the policy framework (legislation and planning) and a second set of more specific benchmarks, covering effective and sustainable implementation of relevant measures including concrete results on the ground.

Georgian authorities are encouraged to continue working hand in hand to pursue the necessary reforms in all the areas relevant for the visa liberalisation dialogue, including: fight against corruption and organised crime, data protection, anti-discrimination and protection of minorities, as well as judicial reform aiming at ensuring the independence of the justice system.

The Commission will regularly assess the effective and consistent fulfilment and implementation by Georgia of each set of benchmarks. At the occasion of her visit, Commissioner Malmström will have meetings with Georgia’s President, Mikhail Saakashvili, Georgia’s Prime Minister,Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as other members of the Georgian government.

During her stay, Commissioner Malmström also had the opportunity to meet with a number of Georgian NGOs working in the areas of migration, human rights and good governance.

Henry Borzi