Parliament has introduced a draft amendment to the Law on Grants that would exempt specific types of grants from requiring government approval.
As the bill puts it, grants issued by international sports associations, federations, and committees, as well as individual financial aid for education and research abroad, would no longer fall under the mandatory approval procedures outlined in paragraph 3 of Article 5¹. Notably, grants under the EU’s Horizon Europe research initiative and Erasmus+ education program are also included in the exemption list.
The draft’s explanatory note justifies the change by stating that these programs “pose lower risks regarding sovereignty infringement, political interference, or security concerns,” adding that “Georgia contributes financially to the implementation of these initiatives.”
Before this draft, all grants required prior approval from the government or a designated authority. Unauthorized grant receipt or issuance was prohibited, with oversight responsibilities assigned to the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
