The launching event of the EU-funded new Twinning project “Strengthening Capacity of the Competition Agency of Georgia “was held at the Tbilisi Marriott hotel. The project aims to assist Georgia to align the normative and legal framework of the Competition Agency of Georgia with the Union acquis and other good international practices in the area of Competition Law and Law on Consumer Protection and achieve higher standards in these directions.
The experts from the international Twinning project consortium of the Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania, State Consumer Rights Protection Authority of Lithuania and Central Project Management Agency responsible for the financial management in partnership with the Federal Competition Authority of Austria, together with Georgian colleagues from the Georgian National Competition Agency, will work on improving and achieving higher standards in the enforcement of competition law and consumer protection policy of Georgia based on the EU best practice.
“The EU is pleased to once again provide support to the Georgian National Competition Agency. This project begins at a timely moment in light this year of Georgia’s application for EU membership and in the framework of Georgia’s ongoing efforts towards greater alignment with the EU acquis. The project will enhance the capacities of the GNCA in their work not only in the area of competition but also with regard to consumer protection in Georgia. A robust, well-functioning supervisory framework is essential to ensuring confidence for consumers, businesses, investors, and the Georgian economy.
EU Twinning is a very particular instrument that supports, amongst other things, the approximation of national laws, regulations and quality standards to those of EU Member States in the framework of an Association Agreement. It is also a very practical instrument for sharing good practices developed within the EU with and to foster long-term relationships between administrations of existing and future EU countries,” -stated Catalin Gherman, Deputy Head of Cooperation from the European Union Delegation to Georgia.
“A 2-year EU-funded Twinning project was launched at the National Competition Agency of Georgia, which will contribute to the effective implementation of the competition and consumer protection policy in Georgia. The law entered into force on June 1, 2022, and our Agency will start its enforcement from November 1, 2022. With the support of the project and through studying and sharing the EU best practice, our goal is to implement and enhance the high-quality protection of consumers’ rights and develop principles of good faith in Georgia,”-declared the Chairman of the National Competition Agency of Georgia, Irakli Lekvinadze.
“We are honoured to win this Twinning project and represent Lithuania, which, according to the European Commission, has been in the top five of the most successful EU countries in the EU Twinning Program in recent years. Our highly qualified and competent experts will work hard to assist the Georgian Competition Agency to bring the local legal framework in the field of competition and consumer protection closer to EU regulations and strengthen the Agency’s institutional development,” – commented Šarūnas Keserauskas, Chairman of the Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania, Project Leader.
Among the guests invited to the project launching event were representatives of the European Union, the Government of Georgia, Embassies, the Business sector and stakeholders.
The EU-funded project “Strengthening Capacity of the Competition Agency of Georgia”, with a budget of € 1 200 000, aims to improve Georgia in the effective enforcement of competition and consumer protection law and policy in Georgia, in line with the EU best practices by strengthening the institutional and human resources capacities of the Agency.
