Guided by their common values, the EU supports peace and stability in Georgia as well as programmes of political and economic reform to enable social and economic development.
In June 2014, the EU and Georgia signed an Association Agreement (AA), which entered into force on July 1 2016. This, along with the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreement, builds a foundation for far-reaching Georgian political and economic integration with the EU. The ambition for Georgia includes ever increasing democracy and rule of law, human rights, good governance and economic development. The AA institutional framework establishes bodies such as the Association Council to oversee its application, with the Association Agenda defining priorities necessary for its implementation.
The AA is itself an outcome of the EU's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), an important part of the EU’s foreign policy, of which Georgia is one of 16 partner countries. It enhances the prosperity, stability and security of an enlarged EU and its neighbours. The launch of the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) in 2009, which includes Georgia, extended cooperation and further highlighted the importance of the region. As well as bolstering reforms, the EaP works towards greater mobility of citizens and stronger collaboration in a number of sectors, such as transport, energy and the environment.
Additionally, the EU remains firmly committed to its policy of supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity within its internationally-recognised borders as well as engagement with the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in support of longer-term conflict resolution. Since 2008, an EU Monitoring Mission has operated in the vicinity of the administrative boundary lines. Additionally, to address wider regional challenges of environmental concerns in the Black Sea region, the EU initiated increased cooperation through the Black Sea Synergy (BSS).