The President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Theodoros Rousopoulos, yesterday requested the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) for an urgent opinion on the compliance with Council of Europe standards of the Georgian draft law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, as being discussed by the Georgian Parliament.

Earlier this month, on 4 April, the PACE monitoring co-rapporteurs for Georgia, Claude Kern (France, ALDE) and Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC), expressed their deep concern at the reintroduction of the draft law. “The reintroduction of this so-called Foreign Agents Law, whose withdrawal last year we warmly welcomed, is of deep concern. What we said the first time this law was introduced remains valid for this proposal: there are serious questions about the draft law's compatibility with European democratic and human rights standards and norms. We therefore urge the authorities to withdraw this draft from the parliamentary agenda,” the co-rapporteurs said.

At the end of its meeting today, the PACE Monitoring Committee, concerned about the possible human rights implications, also decided to ask for Venice Commission opinions on the draft constitutional laws on the Protection of family values and minors, as well as on the recent amendments to the Electoral Code of Georgia abolishing gender quotas.