The European Commission’s report that is based on the responses from the questionnaire sent by Moldova to the EU last May will be published in January, said Deputy Prime Minister Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. According to him, this is a roadmap that shows how things stand in each area and that will help the Moldovan authorities to prioritize the policies and subsequent decisions, IPN reports.

“It is important to emphasize that the representatives of the European Commission firmly recommended the Council of the EU to offer the candidate status to our country. This shows that the current government made clear progress in the field of European integration. We realize the public interest in the content of the report and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the authority that coordinates the European integration process, together with the national institutions, is fully open and ready to discuss practical aspects in conditions of transparency,” stated Nicu Popescu.

According to him, the first part of the Opinion of the European Commission was published on June 17, 2022 and has two chapters – the political criterion and the economic criterion. The second part – the analytical report that is to be published soon – details each accession chapter. This will primarily analyze the level of transposition of the EU acquis to the national legislation and the procedures and mechanisms for implementing the EU policies, with major emphasis on administrative and institutional capacities. It also goes to the level of cooperation between Moldova and the EU.

The new report that is to be published will assess the situation regarding the 33 chapters of the EU legislation and will not include the substantial progress achieved after June. “The assessment of our country’s compliance with the EU membership requirements is a premiere and it is evident, as I earlier stated, that the process of European transformation and modernization of our institutions and of ensuring of administrative preparedness will be a long-lasting one,” stated the official.

In the autumn of 2023, the European Commission will also publish the “extension package” that will contain the progress report on the Republic of Moldova.