Prospects of Georgia becoming EU member in context of economic development trends

Abstract

In this article we discuss accession criteria for EU membership - the Copenhagen Criteria. We largely focus on and critically analyze Georgia’s the economic development level and modern trends. Using the recent data published by international, regional, and local institutions we analyzed macroeconomic measures and international rankings of EU countries and Georgia.Based on qualitative and quantitative research approaches, we conclude that Georgia’s recent economic levels and economic development trends, unfortunately, don’t satisfy the Copenhagen economic criteria and it can be a delay factor for Georgia’s EU integration. In this paper, we present recommendations, a satisfaction of which will facilitate fulfillment of the Copenhagen Criteria by Georgia and speed up the process of Georgia joining the EU.