The European Commission has warned Georgia remains an EU candidate "in name only", its accession effectively halted, in its annual enlargement package published on 4 November. The 62-page communication and a separate 90-page Georgia report both record "continued backsliding" on democratic fundamentals. Having failed to address the nine reform steps attached to candidate status, Georgia's report sets no recommendations for negotiating chapters beyond the fundamentals. Georgia "continues to forego the benefits that candidate status and the pre-accession process bring", the Commission said.

Backsliding and falling alignment with the EU

The Commission said the ruling Georgian Dream party kept undermining democratic principles, the rule of law, fundamental rights and civic space, while enabling further state capture. Georgia's alignment with EU foreign-policy statements and sanctions fell to 38 percent as of 1 September 2026, from 40 percent in 2025, and it has not joined most EU sanctions against Russia. The Commission also warned Georgia's failure on democracy puts the visa-free regime at risk "more generally". The EU already suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports in November 2025. Kaja Kallas said accession "remains de facto halted" but integration "could resume" if the authorities change course.

Tbilisi rejects the findings

Georgia's Foreign Ministry responded on 4 November, calling the report's assessments "factual inaccuracies" that reinforced "anti-Georgian narratives", and arguing that the absence of Association Agreement meetings limited the Commission's ability to judge objectively. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze had already dismissed European assessments of Georgia's record at a Euronews summit in Brussels on 3 November. Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine all received indicative roadmaps for closing accession talks; Georgia received none. Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022, gained candidate status in December 2023, and has shelved opening accession talks until the end of 2028.

[Source: Civil.ge](https://civil.ge/archives/756685) | [Source: EuropeSays](https://www.europesays.com/europe/174892/)