EU official calls Georgia's 'foreign agents' bill unacceptable

Protesters barricade the entrance of Parliament during a rally to protest against a bill on "foreign agents", in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 2, 2024. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

TBILISI (Reuters) - A senior European Union official warned the Georgian government on Thursday that its proposed legislation on "foreign agents" was unacceptable and would be an obstacle to the country's hopes of joining the EU if adopted in its current form.

The bill, which would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, has sparked a rolling political crisis in the South Caucasus country.