The German Bundestag passed a Bill on supporting Moldova's European integration on June 26, calling the Federal Government to intensify the political dialog with Moldova and to commit to developing a new accord succeeding the Moldova-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, corresponding to the progresses already attained, and to the needs, aspirations and expectations of Moldova, and to commit to the soonest provision of the mandate to start the negotiations on signing the new accord, Info-Prim Neo reports. Through this bill, the German Parliament recognizes Moldova's aspirations and expectations of European integration and finds that Moldova has already made important steps on its way of approaching the EU. “Moldova binds big hopes to concluding a new accord succeeding the Partnership and Cooperation Accord signed in 1998 and which would substantially exceed it in terms of the integration perspectives and offers,” reads the bill. Apart from the achievements attained, the Bundestag also finds drawbacks in insuring the freedom of expression and media, the independence of the judiciary and in fighting corruption, especially as far as the genuine application of the adopted laws goes. The German MPs find that the transformation process in Moldova is unfolding very hard. The territorial integrity and the stability have been, for a decade and a half already, jeopardized by the country's being divided by a regime defying the fundamental principles of democracy and state of law and not respecting the fundamental human rights. Also in the economic area, Moldova confronts with important structural problems, as the low economic capacity, wide-spread poverty and enhanced dependence on produce, what has been confirmed by the consequences of the last summer drought. Almost one third of Moldova's GDP is made up from the remittances of the Moldovans migrant workers. The flight of youths, especially, and of qualified labor can massively damage Moldova's further development, the bill runs. The German Bundestag asks the Federal Government to talk the Moldovan Government into strengthening democracy and human rights, the independence of the judiciary and the freedom of media, in counteracting corruption and human trafficking. The German Government is also urged to try to talk the Moldovan Government into avoiding disproportionate obstacles in electoral law for candidates and parties, consistently pleading for a solution to the Transnistrian conflict, which will guarantee Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity and will insure democratic and constitutional conditions on the entire territory. The Moldovan Speaker, Marian Lupu, told the Parliament's plenary sitting on Friday that the bill was an extremely important document, taking into account Germany's role in the EU. It's a message supporting and encouraging Moldova on the European way, he said. At the same time, the National-Liberal Vitalia Pavlicenco has remarked that “what the Europeans are saying is not an appreciation given to the Government, but an apprehension that Moldova does not stay in Russia's sphere of influence,” as the bill contains “very clear messages concerning the anti-democratic slide from Moldova.” This bill is the second act passed by the German Parliament concerning Moldova. On May 6, 2004, it adopted a bill called “Supporting the way towards Moldova's unification and democratization.”