THE COMPETITION COUNCIL AND PARTNERS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED THE EU TWINNING PROJECT IN GEORGIA

To mark the end of the two-year European Union (EU) Twinning project in Georgia, the final event of the initiative was held in Tbilisi. It was attended by representatives of the Lithuanian and Austrian institutions that implemented the project, including experts from the Competition Council, the beneficiary – the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency, EU representatives and other stakeholders.

At the event held on May 23, the results achieved during the project were discussed, and participants expressed satisfaction with the abundance of organised training sessions and other events. Progress made by the country's institutions was evaluated, both in terms of adjusting legal norms and strengthening employees' capabilities in the areas of competition and consumer protection. According to experts' assessments, at the beginning of the project, the compliance of Georgia's competition legislation with EU law was about 60%, and by the end of the project, this figure had reached approximately 75%.

Irma Urmonaitė, the Deputy Chairwoman of the Competition Council, who led the project, noted that for nearly two years, experts from Lithuania and Austria actively shared the working experiences of EU member state institutions, reviewed Georgia's legislation, and prepared its amendments. They provided significant practical assistance to the country, which is crucial for strengthening the culture of competition and consumer protection among representatives of the public and private sectors. She also underlined her confidence in the long-term positive impact of the project on competition and consumer protection in the country.

As part of the project, in May 2023, a visit was organised for the staff of Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency to the Competition Council, during which the guests became acquainted with the latest working practices of their Lithuanian colleagues. They also visited several other institutions in the country.

The Competition Council, together with the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority of Lithuania and the Austrian Competition Authority, implemented the EU Twinning project in Georgia from 1 June 2022.

The project had a budget of €1.2 million and was funded by the EU.