In Georgia, a register for registration of non-governmental organizations and mass media funded from abroad, which was created on the basis of the law on "foreign agents", became operational.
Points of attention
- The law requires registration of NGOs and mass media with more than 20% of their funding from abroad as foreign agents.
- Organizations must register by September 1 and provide income declarations.
- Fines of up to 25,000 GEL are provided for non-registration.
- Georgia's parliament passed a law similar to Russia's law on foreign agents, prompting criticism from Western partners and protests.
How will the law on "foreign agents" work in Georgia
The law obliges to register in the register of NGOs and mass media, more than 20% of whose funding comes from abroad. They are declared "organizations defending the interests of a foreign power."
Organizations have one month to register, until September 1.
After that, the Ministry of Justice will start monitoring with the aim of identifying those who evaded it — it is not yet clear how this will happen.
By January 1, 2025, organizations must submit income declarations for 2023 to the Ministry of Justice. After January 1, publish data on the source and goals of funding for 2024.
For non-registration and non-submission of the declaration, a fine of 25,000 GEL is provided, which is approximately UAH 371,000. Subsequently, 20 thousand GEL will be charged for each month of delay.
Georgian law on "foreign agents"
Despite President Salome Zurabishvili's veto, on May 28 the Parliament of Georgia voted for the law "On transparency of foreign influence", actually passing it.
This step caused sharp criticism from the Western partners and provoked mass protests in Georgian society, because this law is actually a copy of a similar law in force in Russia.
After the summit of the European Council, EU leaders decided to suspend Georgia's entry into the economic and political bloc.
This was stated by the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, Pavlo Herchynskyi, at the international conference held in Tbilisi, "EU enlargement is a geopolitical necessity and further steps for EU candidate countries."
According to him, the EU decided to freeze 30 million euros, which are intended to support Georgia in the field of defense.
In addition, the United States decided to suspend part of the aid to Georgia.
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