On May 2-5, EESC Policy Analyst Dovilė Šukytė visited Georgia where together with partners launched the new project entitled: Georgia on European Way: Creation of Effective Model for DCFTA and SME Strategy Implementation. The project is implemented by the consortium of NGOs and think-tanks under the leadership of EESC in cooperation with the Association of Business Consulting Organizations (ABCO Georgia), Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP, Georgia), GLOBSEC (Slovakia), Association Caucasus Genetics (Georgia), ATINATI (Georgia) and Young Scientists Union “Intellect” (Georgia). The project is being implemented from April 12, 2017 and project’s duration is 24 months. The project is funded by the European Neighbourhood Instrument of the European Union.

The goal of the project is to strengthen the capacities of Georgian civil society (CSOs) along the DCFTA (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area) implementation process. The project will begin with thorough status-quo analysis focused on detecting opportunities and challenges of DCFTA implementation in Georgia. This first phase of project implementation will lay grounds and provide tools for continuous project activities: capacity building trainings for Georgian CSOs, which will enable and gradually turn them into equal partners during following project implementation phases: a) executing a nationwide DCFTA/SME communication campaign, b) providing trainings and seminars for Georgian SMEs and public officials, and c) forming and organizing the work of Local and Central Advisory Councils, a first format of its kind to bring together representatives of local and central government officials, SMEs, CSOs and international experts. The status quo analysis on DCFTA implementation in Georgia will also be used when evaluating project results upon its completion and advising continuous actions.

The project activities are based on following three objectives:

– Increasing CSOs role when raising public awareness, understanding and support for DCFTA implementation in Georgia;

– Building capacities of Georgian CSOs to assist and consult local SMEs on accessing and benefiting from the EU internal market;

– Establishing comprehensive monitoring and advise-based cooperation between Georgian authorities, CSOs and SMEs.

In total around 180 CSOs and 5000 SMEs from all 9 regions of Georgia and Autonomous Republic of Adjara will benefit from project activities.

More about the project here.