In the Republic of Moldova, there is no systematic application of rules regarding bilingual or trilingual signposting, as persons belonging to national minorities appear unaware of the available mechanisms through which they could address such requests. In an Opinion on the Republic of Moldova, the Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities says in some regions, Russian appears to be used on topographic signs, and the Ukrainian language is reportedly also sometimes visible, such as when indicating the name of a school or a public building, IPN reports.
The Advisory Committee notes that in general, it is mainly the state language that is used on topographic signs, which appears not to be in line with Article 10 of the Law on National Minorities. Representatives report that the few signs that are available have often been there for many years without being maintained and sometimes display spelling mistakes. The Advisory Committee regrets this apparent lack of appreciation for the important role that the use of minority languages on place names can have for the development of a sense of inclusion amongst the population.
While recognizing the necessity of maintaining official lists of place names for administrative purposes, the Advisory Committee notes that the exclusive use of the state language has resulted in a situation where the officially accepted use of minority languages is hindered.
