The European Union will continue to support Moldova in reforming the justice sector. The country assumed firm commitments and the closer it comes to the European norms and standards, the more the EU will support the Government, Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola said in a press club meeting staged by the institution, IPN reports.
The official noted that the Moldovan citizens are the end-users of this support. The people want to live in a society with the rule of law, equal rights for everyone and with predictability. A fair and independent justice is the key element for putting the Association Agreement with the EU into practice. By signing this accord, Moldova committed itself to making real changes.
For the justice sector reform in Moldova, the EU will allocate about €60 million in budget support and €10 million in technical assistance for implementing the reform strategy. “I’m convinced that this money will be spent carefully, for the people’s benefit,” said the ambassador. The first tranche was disbursed last November. This May, the first foreign mission came to assess how Moldova is fulfilling the assumed commitments. In a news conference on September 15, there will be provided more details on the issue.
Attending the press club meeting, Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim said the authorities manage to keep a good pace of implementing the measures stipulated in the justice sector reform strategy. The promoted policies are producing results. The elimination of the immunity of judges is a first step in this direction. Owing to the bills assumed by the Government, they can now remove the immunity of judges for a larger number of offenses. Important instruments for fighting corruption started to work. They include the testing of the integrity of the employees of law enforcement bodies. A number of judges caught taking bribe were arrested. In the current session, Parliament is expected to adopt an important package of laws for the justice reform, which was endorsed by the Government.
Justice Project Manager at the EU Delegation to Moldova Victoria Neaga said the EU offered Moldova €10 million for four technical assistance projects. Three of them start this October. Their beneficiaries are the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Supreme Council of Magistrates, the Department of Penitentiary Institutions, the Central Probation Office and the Union of Bailiffs. European experts will come to Moldova to help strengthen the capacities of the institutions involved in the process of reforming the justice sector.
