European Union leaders said that Georgia’s refusal to reverse its crackdown on civil society has prompted a “de facto” halt to its efforts to join the bloc.

The move follows an adoption of a bill widely known as the “foreign agent” law that sparked massive anti-government protests. The U.S. and the EU said the law is similar to one President Vladimir Putin introduced to crush pro-democracy groups in Russia.

“The European Council calls on Georgia’s authorities to clarify their intentions by reversing the current course of action which jeopardizes Georgia’s EU path, de facto leading to a halt of the accession process,” leaders said in the conclusions of their summit meeting early Friday.

The EU, which granted Georgia candidate status in December, has warned the adoption of the law would jeopardize the Caucasus republic’s chances of opening accession talks with the bloc.

Earlier this month, Georgia’s ruling party also put forward measures that include banning “LGBTQ propaganda” portrayals of same-sex relationships in films, television and advertising. Lawmakers in the capital, Tbilisi, on Thursday backed the bill in the first of three readings.

While the EU formally agreed to open the years-long process of negotiating membership in the bloc with Ukraine and Moldova, Georgia missed out. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said negative developments are pushing Georgia away from the bloc.

Georgians are scheduled to go to the polls in parliamentary elections this October.

(Michael Nienaber contributed to this report.)

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