The Delegation of the Europeans Union to Moldova and the Ministry of Economy initiated a public debate on the essential role of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) between Moldova and the EU. The discussions, held on October 8, centered on the conclusions and recommendations of a recent study of the support provided by the EU to the private sector in the context of the Association Agreement and the DCFTA and also on the opportunities and key challenges of the SMEs in Moldova, IPN reports.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Stephane Christophe Bride said the effects of the DCFTA with the EU are already felt, despite the current conditions of crisis. Compared with 2014, the SMEs’ exports to the EU grew by 12%. Moldova is going through a process of standardization. Any transition necessitates changes at technical, certification and other levels, which in time will produce more results.

EU Ambassador to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola said the results achieved in this field are rather good if taking into account the current crisis. The EU supports the SMEs because these represent the largest part of the Moldovan economy. The creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area will allow the SMEs to enjoy new commercial opportunities in the EU, to improve access to financing so that they could make the investments needed for increasing competitiveness, to integrate into global value chains and to comply with the new sanitary, phytosanitary, quality and technical standards and environment protection measures, benefiting thus from local clients and increased exports to the EU and not only.

Gabriel Blanc, program manager at the European Commission, said the study shows that a series of technical regulations are needed to generate effects horizontally. The study recommends broadly informing the business community and the sector associations play an important role in this regard. These should transmit the information from the European Commission to each economic entity so that these know the financing, standardization, certification and other opportunities.

For his part, chairman of the Small Business Association Eugen Roscovanu said that the development of the SMEs is now influenced by the economic crisis experienced by Moldova. The economic entities hope that the DCFTA will have positive effects, but the authorities should make effort to do reforms in this area so as to eliminate the bureaucratic obstacles faced by the business community and to ensure more economic freedoms.