The ongoing research study, part of the MSCA-ITN "MARKETS" project, aims to describe the interplay between Europeanization mechanisms and informality using a qualitative methodology comprehensive of semi-structured in-depth interviews and Q-methodology with Georgian wine producers exporting their wine to the EU countries. The reasoning of this study is to encourage a shift from a macro- to a micro-level analysis by highlighting the locals' actual experiences in the EaP countries often neglected in EU studies.
Georgia is considered the birthplace of wine, a central component of social and economic life, becoming one of the most potent identarian symbols of the country. However, during Soviet times wine production became of mass and low quality. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the industrial production of wine was slowly reorganized and oriented mainly toward Russia. In 2016, the DCFTA agreement between Georgia and the EU entered into force. This treaty allows Georgia to export selected products, including wine, into the EU market if they meet the requirements outlined in the treaties. However, in the short period, the DCFTA is not working as awaited since the EU requirements are also particularly costly and difficult to implement for local businesses. Moreover, the EU standards can be perceived differently from the local ways of doing things, the traditional winemaking, leading actors to adopt informal practices, select and adapt locally to the external standards, or even emulate them.
Given that the DCFTA obliges Georgia to comply with EU rules and social actors can deviate from or reshape these norms, the theoretical framework of this research is at the intersection of Europeanization and informality theories. Therefore, the paper proposes an analysis of the Georgian localization of the EU food safety and hygiene standards using conditionality, selective Europeanization and the normative emulation/"self conditionality" mechanisms. This ambivalent resilience of social actors includes elements of preservation and resistance that become visible with the emergence and reshaping of informal practices in the Europeanization of the Georgian wine sector.

EU plays a genuine role as a conflict management actor in South Caucasus via its EUMM civilian mission in Georgia. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022 poses a question of whether the role of the EU should be more ambitious and assertive as a diplomatic, normative, geopolitical, and security actor, also in South Caucasus, especially in the context of the current Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The multilateral ceasefire declaration concerning Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020 further strengthened Russian military presence in South Caucasus. However, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian war, the Russian position has been significantly questioned and is considered somewhat limited. Does this development signal the EU to strengthen its role as a diplomatic and also security actor in South Caucasus to fill the potential security "vacuum"?

Since December 2013, after some lessons learned from previous experience with crisis management (including the experience of EUMM Georgia), the EU has changed its approach to conflicts and crises according to the so-called comprehensive approach. The global strategy for the European Union's foreign and security policy from 2016 further enriched this approach with the principles of multidimensionality, multi-phased, multi-level, and multilateral approaches (the "integrated" approach to external conflicts and crises).

This paper will represent a case study focused on the EUMM Georgia civilian mission, in combination with the scenario analysis, which will consider the current paradigm shift in the South Caucasus security situation and the war in Ukraine. The paper will aim to answer the following research questions: 1) How were the main elements of the comprehensive/integrated approach implemented into the mandate and real working of EUMM Georgia civilian mission? 2) What were the main problems with implementing the principles of the comprehensive/integrated approach in the case of the EUMM mission? 3) What are the lessons learned concerning the EUMM Georgia, and what are the prospects of the future EU role as a conflict management actor in the South Caucasus (including, potentially, the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict? The research findings are derived from the analyses gained from the essential documents and semi-structured interviews, including the insiders of the EUMM Georgia; representatives of local organizations and academia in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The analysis considers various scenarios of the development of the Ukrainian war and their impact on the security situation in the South Caucasus.

Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are among the youngest states, having claimed their independence after the Soviet Union collapse and, since then, they have been very motivated them to embark on the road of political and democratic reforms in order to meet the criteria to get close to the EU. The start of the conflict in 2022 has confirmed how much the eastern neighbourhood is of strategic importance for the EU. Even more, it has shown the levels of interdependence between the EU and the states of the region in different aspect, in particular, energy, migration and security. On June 23, both countries have been accepted as a candidates to become Member states of the EU, but Georgia was denied this opportunity. While this is going to be a long road, many steps have already been taken through a process of Europeanization. However, leadership's communication is going to be crucial to foster hope, values and authenticity among the citizens. This paper will explore the use of social media in the leadership, looking at the type of platforms used and which type of posts, messages or statements are directed to their citizens or to the international public.