The first round of negotiations on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) between Moldova and the European Union will be held in Chisinau at the level of deputy ministers of the relevant ministries, during March 20-22, Info-Prim Neo reports. This first round will mainly focus on legal issues. There were created 13 technical groups within which experts will discuss issues concerning trade in goods and services, competition, technical barriers for trade, sanitary measures, customs management, energy, public procurement, etc. The Moldovan team of negotiators is headed by Deputy Economy Minister Octavian Calmic. The leading negotiator of European Commission's delegation is Luc Devigne from the EU Directorate General for Trade. Moldova launched preparations for the DCFTA negotiations in 2011, making a series of legal and regulation amendments in 13 areas of the national economy, in line with the European Commission's recommendations. The DCFTA involves liberalization of trade in goods and services, freedom of labor movement, lower customs duties, reduced technical and non-tariff barriers, abolition of quantitative restrictions and harmonization of Moldovan laws with those of the European Union. Unlike the Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATP), the current trade arrangement between Moldova and the EU, which is a unilateral regime offered by the EU for a limited period of time, the DCFTA will be a multilateral agreement signed for an unlimited period and offering export advantages much greater than the ATPs and better business predictability. The second round of negotiations will take place in Brussels in June.