The “Time for Solidarity” show spreads six false and unsubstantiated claims

On February 14, in the TV program “Time for Solidarity” of the “Solidarity for Peace” party, host Davit Akhvlediani and guest speaker Baia Amashukeli voiced the following claims:

• Products exported from Georgia to Turkey are taxed, while products from Turkey enter Georgia duty-free;
• Goods imported from the European Union to Georgia, including agricultural products and electronic devices, are of poor quality;
• The EU forced the Baltic states to slaughter animals because the market was already oversaturated with Dutch beef;
• The EU has repeatedly stated that Georgia and Moldova must accept migrants;
• Georgian products cannot enter the EU market because the EU forces us to use only European chemicals for agricultural production, which are twice as expensive as Russian ones;
• The United National Movement was involved in human organ trafficking.

Some of the claims made in the program “Time for Solidarity” contain factual inaccuracies, while others are unsubstantiated or manipulative. In reality:

1. As a result of the Free Trade Agreement signed between Turkey and Georgia in 2007, many types of goods are imported and exported with zero tariffs between the two countries;
2. The EU has not made any statements regarding the obligation of Georgia to accept migrants. The EU migration policy is not mandatory even for EU member states;
3. EU regulations require that chemicals used to cultivate products for sale in the EU comply with EU standards, but this does not automatically exclude the use of chemicals produced in Russia or other countries;
4. There is no evidence that the EU produces low-quality products specifically for Georgia. The Free Trade Agreement between Georgia and the EU mandates high-quality product trade, which is monitored by the European Commission;
5. There is no evidence that the EU forced the Baltic states to cull livestock;
6. The claim that the United National Movement was involved in human organ trafficking is unsubstantiated.

• Trade Tariffs Between Georgia and Turkey

In 2008, the Free Trade Agreement between Georgia and Turkey came into effect, establishing low or zero tariffs on the export and import of certain types of goods between the two countries. Over the years, multiple amendments have been made to this agreement. The most significant change occurred in 2022, when both parties agreed to grant zero-tariff access within a quota for Georgian export of certain goods to Turkey, such as live cattle, beef, green tea, dried fruit, kiwi, lemons, canned tomatoes, and food ingredients. As a result, many types of goods exported from Georgia to Turkey – and vice versa – are exempt from tariffs. However, this agreement does not cover some products, requiring both parties to pay customs duties.

• The EU Does Not Require Georgia to Accept Migrants

The claim that the European Union obligates Georgia to accept migrants or will obligate it to do so in case of EU membership has repeatedly circulated and has been fact-checked by Myth Detector. In reality, no EU official has made such a demand. It is important to note that even EU member states have no obligation to accept migrants. Under the 2023 agreement, the EU reserves the right to relocate a portion of migrants from countries with high migrant inflows to other member states. However, any member state can refuse to accept them and contribute to this solidarity mechanism in other ways, such as by providing financial assistance.

• EU Regulations on Chemicals Used in Agricultural Products

The European Union does not require Georgia to use only European chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) for agricultural production. However, the EU only allows products on its market that meet EU regulations that prioritize the quality and the compliance of the chemicals used with health and environmental protection standards. The Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU states that the EU’s food safety standards are very strict and highly important, and for trade relations Georgia must adopt part of the EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary legislation. However, neither this agreement nor any other document prohibits Georgia from using chemicals produced in third countries for growing fruits and vegetables.

EU food safety rules set limits on the maximum allowable pesticide residue in food but do not restrict the origin of the chemicals. The key is that they comply with EU standards. It is also important to note that the EU has not imposed a complete ban on the purchase or use of Russian fertilizers and commercially produced pesticides (phytosanitary products), even after the war in Ukraine began. With some exceptions, produce grown using Russian chemicals can still be sold on the EU market. The EU continues to import fruits and vegetables from Russia, grown with Russian chemicals, unless they do not meet EU quality standards.

Another crucial aspect of the trade with the EU is the “rules of origin.” According to the Association Agreement, for Georgia to qualify for low tariffs on exports to the EU, the products must meet the rules of origin. This rule implies that even though a product supplied by Georgia may be made with materials from third countries or partly processed abroad, if the product is sufficiently transformed in Georgia to reach its final form, it is still considered a Georgian product.

• Does the EU Send Low-Quality Products to Georgia?

There is no evidence to support the claim that goods imported into Georgia from the European Union are of low quality and are specifically produced for developing countries. The Association Agreement between Georgia and the EU, which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), ensures compliance with technical and sanitary measures for trade goods. It is partially true that the EU exports some lower-quality products to certain developing countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, but it does so primarily because of the high demand for cheap goods in those regions. These products are often second-hand clothing and plastic waste, and they are not labeled as new in the importing countries. However, as mentioned earlier, Georgia is protected from such practices by the free trade agreement, which ensures that product standards are adjusted to both local market and EU regulations.

Despite these agreements, it is technically possible that some products imported into Georgia could differ from the same products sold in an EU member state, but this could happen independently of the organization. Over the years, even within the EU, it was repeatedly found that products with the same branding, identical packaging, and listed ingredients differed in quality and composition across different member states. This is called a “dual food quality,” which is considered incompatible with EU legislation as it misleads consumers. To address this, in 2019, a new law was introduced to explicitly prohibit the practice of dual food quality. As a result, from 2019 to 2021, the proportion of such products decreased from 31% to 24%. Moreover, studies have not found that this quality division was based on a West-East distinction within Europe.

• Cattle Farming Sector in the Baltic States

The claim that the European Union forced farmers in the Baltic states to cull their cattle after joining the EU due to an oversupply of Dutch beef in the market was made in the TV program “Time for Solidarity,” with the guest stating that he had personally spoken with citizens of these countries about the issue. However, no evidence supporting this claim can be found in open sources. No official accusations have been made against the EU regarding such actions, and statistical data paints a different picture.

After joining the EU, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia underwent significant changes in the livestock sector due to the EU’s regulations and high standards. Smaller farmers particularly struggled to meet these requirements and cover the associated costs. As a result, the number of small farmers in these countries decreased, while the number of large-scale producers and farms increased. In Estonia and Lithuania, the number of cattle declined after 2004, while Latvia saw a slight increase. However, the cattle farming sector remains a significant industry in all three countries.

1. Historically, dairy production has been the largest part of the agricultural sector in Estonia, and, consequently, in the case of cattle, more attention was given to milk rather than meat. In 2009, approximately 30% of the agricultural sector was related to dairy production, while in 2023, this figure equaled 23%, still making it the main contributor to this field. Despite the percentage decline, the volume of milk production increased during this period. Notably, in 2023, a record-high amount of milk was produced since 1992, even though the number of dairy cows was three times higher 31 years ago compared to 2023. The main reason for this is that farmers focused on raising cattle breeds that yield significantly more milk, leading to a threefold increase in productivity. It is also worth emphasizing that from 1994 to 2004, the number of dairy cows in the country nearly halved. However, after Estonia joined the European Union, the decline slowed significantly.

As for the total number of cattle in Estonia, it was 280,237 in 2001. The figure decreased to 274,211 in 2003 and continued to decline following EU accession to 241,025 by 2010. However, by 2018, the total number of cattle increased to 255,100, while in 2023, it stood at 251,039. Thus, while there was a decrease in cattle numbers following EU accession, the difference compared to 2003 is relatively small. Moreover, as previously noted, the cattle numbers declined much more rapidly in the 1990s. Despite these changes, sectors related to cattle farming remain one of the most significant parts of Estonia’s agricultural industry.

2. Unlike Estonia, Latvia has seen an increase in the number of cattle since joining the EU. In 2003, there were 378,707 cattle in the country. Their number slightly declined by 2005, but by 2007, it had risen to 397,875. In the following years, the number fluctuated only slightly, reaching 399,000 by 2021, of which approximately 136,000 were dairy cows.

3. Among the Baltic countries, Lithuania has always had the largest cattle population. For instance, in 1999, over 922,000 cattle were registered in the country, while in 2003, the number was 884,000. From 2015 to 2022, the number of cattle steadily declined each year, reaching 628,700 in 2022, with 225,200 of them being dairy cows. However, in 2023, for the first time in years, an increase in cattle numbers was recorded, reaching 641,900.

As the statistics show, the number of cattle has decreased in Estonia and Lithuania but has slightly increased in Latvia. In all three countries, the cattle sector remains an important part of the economy, and there is no basis for the claim that the EU forced farmers in these countries to slaughter their cattle on a massive scale.

False claims suggesting that EU accession has harmed the economies and agriculture of these countries or forced farmers to cull their cows have circulated repeatedly in the past. For more details, see Myth Detector reports.

• Disinformation about how the EU was campaigning against Baltic cows for 800 euros
• Manipulation, as if joining the European Union cost countries a heavy price
• Disinformation Claiming That Joining the European Union Harmed Bulgaria’s Agriculture
• Does Joining the EU Destroy Member States’ Economies?

• The Claim that the United National Movement Engaged in Organ Trafficking is a Conspiracy Theory

It is unclear what source the TV program relies on when discussing the United National Movement and Sandra Roelofs, claiming, “Although they didn’t put people in gas chambers, they were cutting out organs, and everyone knows this.” This information has not been reported by any Georgian media outlet or government body. No journalistic or state investigation has been launched into the matter, and consequently, it is a pure conspiracy theory that has also been circulated in Russian propaganda media in the past.

Notably, in the past, the news agency Sakinformi and Russian media attempted to link Sandra Roelofs to organ trafficking. A circulated video was accompanied by a description alleging that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) chief had released it, detailing how the former First Lady was involved in human organ trafficking, which allegedly began during Saakashvili’s presidency. However, Myth Detector fact-checked this claim and confirmed that the video had been fabricated.

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