EU Rule of Law Mission to Georgia

Summary: June 14, 2004: Background Document - EU Rule of Law Mission to Georgia (Brussels)

In response to an invitation by the Georgian authorities, the European Union (EU) has decided to launch an EU Rule of Law (EUROL) mission to Georgia. This will be the first Rule of Law mission launched by the EU in the context of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and as such is a significant step forward in the development of the civilian strand of ESDP. It will also be the first ESDP mission outside the Western Balkans and Africa.

EUROL will start initial deployment no later than mid-July 2004. It is foreseen to last 12 months. The estimated total size of EUROL would be approximately 10 international civilian experts plus local staff.
In the framework of EUROL, senior and highly experienced personnel will support, mentor and advise Ministers, senior officials and appropriate bodies at the level of the central government. They will be co-located in Ministries and governmental bodies in the national capital. A Head of Mission will be appointed by the Council later this month.
The Head of Mission will report to SG/HR Solana through the EU Special Representative for the Southern Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie. The Political and Security Committee shall exercise under the responsibility of the Council the political control and strategic direction of the mission.
EUROL is designed to support the Georgian authorities in addressing urgent challenges in the criminal justice system, assisting the Georgian government in developing a co-ordinated overall approach to the reform process, in a way that fully complements current EU assistance and other international community activities and bilateral Member State initiatives in the Rule of Law area.
In that regard, EUROL will:

- provide urgent guidance for the new criminal justice reform strategy, including support to the planning for new legislation, for example the Criminal Procedure Code;
- support the overall co-ordinating role of the relevant Georgian authorities in the field of judicial reform and anti-corruption;
- support the development of international as well as regional cooperation in the area of criminal justice.
In the area of Rule of Law, Georgia faces major and urgent challenges in the whole chain of Rule of Law ranging from the courts, through the Procuracy, to the penitentiary system. The ability of Georgia to deal with these challenges now will define the direction of Georgia for a long time ahead, affecting the further development of democracy and respect for human rights.

The Feira European Council (2000) identified "strengthening the rule of law" as one of four priority areas in which the European Union decided to establish specific capabilities in civilian ESDP. These Member States capabilities could be used in EU-led autonomous missions or in operations conducted by lead agencies, such as the UN or the OSCE. Specific targets set at the Göteborg European Council in 2001 were exceeded at the Ministerial Capabilities Commitments Conference in November 2002, when Member States undertook to provide almost 300 personnel for strengthening the rule of law, including judges, prosecutors, penitentiary experts and other officials.

The rule of law and the criminal justice system have been a focus of European Community (EC) assistance to Georgia since 2000 under the "Tacis" programme. Based on the EU-Georgia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) entered into force on 1 July 1999, the EU's cooperation objectives are to build a relationship with Georgia in which respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and human rights, as well as the consolidation of a market economy are fostered and supported. Overall, since Georgia's independence in 1991, the EU has been one of the biggest donors to the country. The European Community alone has already given more than EUR 370 million since 1992, and EU Member States have given a comparable amount on top of this.

Ref: CL04-117EN
EU source: Council
UN forum:
Date: 14/6/2004

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