What the EU's 2026 report says about Georgia — and what it means for us

On 4 November the European Commission published its annual enlargement package. Georgia's 85-page 2026 report covers the period from 1 September 2025 to 1 September 2026. Its conclusion is short: the accession process is halted, the authorities have not met any of the 9 conditions set in 2023, and the state of democracy has deteriorated.

Key findings: what the report says

Democracy and elections: The state of democracy continued to deteriorate. The report singles out the Constitutional Court case seeking to ban 5 opposition parties. The October 2025 local elections are assessed as having taken place in a polarised and repressive environment (the ruling party won all 64 municipalities; an OSCE/ODIHR mission could not deploy).

Parliament and courts: 49 of the 150 seats are empty, and 10 opposition leaders face criminal charges. The judiciary has backslid for the third year in a row, and the Commission is concerned that the courts are being used as an instrument of repression.

Civil society and media: The "foreign influence" laws have been joined by restrictions on grants, followed by the freezing of several leading NGOs' bank accounts. Up to 3 years in prison was introduced for systematic acts aimed at not recognising the government's legitimacy, and 4 journalists had their parliamentary accreditation suspended.

Corruption and foreign policy: The Anti-Corruption Bureau was abolished, and no steps were taken on de-oligarchisation. Alignment with EU foreign policy fell to 38%. Under the EU's 21st sanctions package, transactions with the Kulevi oil refinery will be banned (over its use of Russian crude), and 3 crypto-asset firms based in Georgia were also listed.

Economy (the positive side): Growth was 7.5% in 2025 and 7.9% in the first 7 months of 2026, although unemployment (13.9%) and inflation (5.6%) remain problems. Cooperation with Europol, readmission and infrastructure projects are assessed positively.

What does it mean in practice?

For the government: No high-level meetings are taking place. Since 2024, €121.3 million in direct assistance and European Peace Facility funding have been suspended. Since March 2026, visa-free travel has been suspended for holders of diplomatic and official passports.

The government's response: The Foreign Ministry called the report biased and blamed Brussels for the lack of dialogue, while saying it would submit detailed comments.

For people in Georgia: Visa-free travel on ordinary passports continues for now, but the failure to implement the recommendations puts it at risk. Participation in Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ continues (except for state bodies). 71% of the population supports joining the EU.

For the diaspora: In December 2025 out-of-country voting in parliamentary elections was abolished — voters abroad will have to travel to Georgia to cast a ballot. The EU remains the largest source of remittances (45%) and investment (34%).

What to watch

January: EU foreign ministers discuss Georgia.

Constitutional Court: the ruling on the bid to ban opposition parties.

March 2027: the 1-year suspension of visa-free travel for diplomatic passports expires.

The Commission's message has two parts: a severe assessment of the government's course, and a clear signal that the EU's door remains open to Georgia's citizens.