The European Union and U.S. on Thursday condemned legislation making its way through Georgia's parliament on "foreign agents" and thousands of protesters snarled traffic in the capital with a peaceful protest against the bill.

European Union officials say passing the law – which critics say is inspired by the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent – would harm Georgia’s prospects of joining the EU

The European Commission strongly criticised Georgia on Wednesday, calling on Tbilisi to change its direction after the country passed a "foreign influence" law that targets foreign-funded non-governmental organisations.