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EU Says Georgia’s Plan to Scrap Anti-Corruption Bureau Further Sets Back EU Bid

The government plans to move declaration oversight to the State Audit Service from March 2026, saying the body holds greater constitutional independence.

Overview

  • European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said the decision pushes Georgia further from EU accession and urged guarantees of institutional independence and impartiality.
  • Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili announced the Anti-Corruption Bureau will be abolished with its duties transferred to the State Audit Service in March 2026.
  • Under the same approach, the Personal Data Protection Service is slated to be dissolved from March 2026.
  • Papuashvili said the bureau mainly gathers and monitors declarations by officials, parties and NGOs, a role he argued is better aligned with the audit service.
  • The bureau was created in 2022 on EU recommendation, and the EU on November 4 labeled Georgia a “nominal” candidate over democratic backsliding.