The European Integration Index 2014 for Eastern Partnership (EaP) Countries shows that even if Moldova is yet the project’s leader, the country risks losing this position. The Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul” on March 17 presented the European Integration Index 2014, which shows the progress made by the six EaP countries in the European integration process between January 2013 and June 2014, IPN reports.
EII coordinator Jeff Lovit, director of the Policy Association for an Open Society, said that Moldova remains a leader in the region, being followed by Ukraine and Georgia. However, it does not make major progress compared with the other countries, but rather stagnates.
“Moldova takes the first position among the Eastern Partnership countries for the fourth consecutive year, but is not at a big distance from Georgia and Ukraine. This year Georgia made the biggest progress, in general, in coming closer to Moldova, especially owing to the result achieved in the European Integrated Management. We have a classroom with six students who make effort to do the homework, but they do not always manage to. If things develop in a similar way, next year Moldova will be the second in these rankings,” said Leonid Litra, expert of the Kiev Institute of World Policy and associate expert of “Viitorul”.
As regards the economic security and the Free Trade Agreement, expert of the think tank “Expert-Grup” Alexandru Fala said the state acted to the detriment of the country’s economic security and conceded important assets in a nontransparent way. Also, the Agreement created a situation that makes the small entrepreneurs leave their comfort area and this implies certain costs.
Attending the event, Wicher Slagter, head of the Political and Economic Section of the EU Delegation to Moldova, said the country needs to deal with five important tasks to continue on the path of European integration – the problem of the banking system, reformation of justice, which is the biggest shortcoming alongside corruption fighting, ensuring of a favorable investment climate, and adjustment of the national legislation to the European standards.
The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Daniela Morari said the Ministry is now reviewing the policies so that these meet the realities and, regardless of the existing opposition, there are positive statistics, especially as regards the DCFTA. Moldova is also preparing actively for the Riga EaP Summit of this May, coordinating its position with Georgia and Ukraine.
According to the European Integration Index 2014, Moldova remained the key reformist of the region and came closer the most to the EU standards. Its correlation score remained the same as in 2013 and the country continues to lag behind Ukraine as regards the political dialogue, trade and economic integration as well as in the sector cooperation with the EU. Moldova’s score in the service sector is also low, being outstripped by all the countries in this respect, except for Armenia.
