The most ineffective sectors of the Moldovan judicial and law enforcement systems are the courts, the prosecutorial service and the investigation bodies, according to an EU-funded justice sector assessment report presented on Thursday at a conference in Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. The team of EU experts who conducted the assessment, headed by Dovydas Vitkauskas, remarked that the fundamental problems faced by the Moldovan justice system can be grouped into several categories: a lack of internal and external sectoral dialogue; inefficiency of courts and criminal investigation bodies; and a lack of institutional, legal and practical tools to effectively combat corruption and impunity. Attending the conference, Ambassador Dirk Schuebel, the head of the EU Delegation to Moldova, noted that the EU is trying to facilitate as much as possible the reform of the Moldovan justice sector. “A truly democratic Moldova aspiring to European integration should have an independent and efficient justice system, which will also boost the Moldovan economy, however, that all this could only be achieved through serious commitments of the politicians and judiciary”, stated Dirk Schuebel. He stressed that a fair and independent justice which is able to fight corruption is a fundamental condition for the visa liberalization arrangements. “The European Union will support Moldova in this complicated task, but this support will directly depend on the progress achieved by Moldova”, added Dirk Schuebel. Moldovan Justice Minister Oleg Efrim acknowledged the importance of an independent assessment of the justice sector and informed that the report will be carefully studied by the working groups set up under the Ministry of Justice to further develop the Justice Sector Reform Strategy. “Now we have a vision from outside of the existing problems and this will surely help us to intervene promptly in those areas where solutions are urgently needed”. The Ministry of Justice has finalized the first stage of the Justice Reform Strategy's development. The document is based on seven pillars: the judicial system, criminal justice, access to justice and justice enforcement, integrity consolidation of justice actors, contribution of justice to economic growth, respect for human rights, and responsibility and coordination of the justice sector.