Elguja Khokrishvili Emphasizes Benefits That Georgia Has Lost Due to not Being Granted EU Candidate Status

Former Georgian Ambassador to Germany Elguja Khokrishvili discusses the matters of the benefits that Georgia has lost due to the European Commission's decision not to recommend Georgia for candidate status. The diplomat explains that one of the most essential instruments that Georgia would have would be access to the pre-accession financial instrument IPA III, which has a budget of 14 billion euros.

In addition, in case of becoming the EU candidate, Georgia will have access to 11 EU programs, which will cover different areas.

The European Parliament adopted the new Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) for the period 2021-2027, through which the EU provides almost €14. 2 billion to support candidate countries and potential candidates in key political, institutional, social, and economic reforms.

The latter covers 5 different areas.

- Strengthen the institutional and administrative capacities (candidate and potential candidate);

- Cross-border cooperation (Candidate and potential candidate); 

- Rural and community development (candidate only);

- Development of regions (candidate only);

- Human resource development (candidate only).

"The economic and investment program (2021-2027) is also tied to the previous financial instrument of accession, which envisages the mobilization of 30 billion euros (9 billion) from international financial institutions (EIB, KfW, EBRD, WB, IMF, etc.) and the private sector. Grants and investments of 20 billion financial institutions) and investments in the following areas: transport, private sector development, human resources, etc.

Pre-accession Assistance also includes an economic and investment programme (2021-2027), which envisages the mobilization of 30 billion euros (financial grant of 9 billion and 20 billion invested by financial institutions) from international financial institutions (EIB, KfW, EBRD, WB, IMF, etc.) and the private sector. 

Candidate countries will have an access to every program of the EU (Out of 11 programs, Georgia only has access to Erasmus +, Horizon 2020, and Creative Europe).

Candidate countries will be able to cooperate with the EU Neighborhood, and benefit from NDICI funds, amounting to €19 billion for 2021-2027.

The use of these financial aids will depend on the individual progress made by the candidate countries on the path to European integration.

Utilizing these opportunities will have an incredible impact on increasing the well-being and quality of life of every citizen of Georgia.

The European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the country is the choice of the Georgian people and the constitutional obligation of the government to walk towards it. Let us recognize the conditions presented by the European Commission and start meeting them immediately.", wrote Elguja Khokrishvili, Georgia's former ambassador to Germany.