The Georgian Parliament is set to review proposed amendments to the Law on Grants that would exempt specific international grants from requiring government approval. The draft changes are scheduled to be introduced at the Parliament’s Bureau meeting next week.

The legislation aims to revise Article 5, Paragraph 3 of the current law. Under the new wording, government approval would no longer be required for grants issued by:

• International sports associations, federations, and committees;

• Providers of individual financial support for general and higher education or scientific research conducted outside Georgia;

• The European Union’s "Horizon Europe" research and innovation program and the "Erasmus+" education and training initiative.

Currently, these grants must be reviewed and approved by the Georgian government. However, the explanatory note accompanying the draft argues for a shift in policy, stating that Georgia’s financial contributions to these EU programs reduce associated risks, such as political interference or security threats. As a result, the drafters consider it appropriate to streamline the process for these specific funding sources.

The amendment is backed by nine members of Parliament: Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Cheishvili, Alexandre Tabatadze, David Matikashvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Aluda Ghudushauri, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, Guram Macharashvili, and Akaki Aladashvili.