Though the Moldovan producers will have to work in conditions of stiff competition if a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area is created with the EU, they will enjoy benefits, economist Adrian Lupusor, director of the Independent Analytical Center “Expert – Grup”, said in the conference “Integrationist Options of Moldova”, IPN reports.

Lupusor said the studies made by “Expert – Grup” revealed that the incomes the producers will earn from selling food products to the EU will rise by 5%. The Moldovan enterprises’ access to the EU market with over 500 million consumers will increase. They will also have access to the Turkish and other markets as the community standards are recognized at international level. Moldova’s economy will become more competitive and will extend by 6.4%. If Moldova joins the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union, its market will shrink by 4% as it will have to adopt Russian standards and customs policies that are not recognized at world level. Besides tariff barriers, the Moldovan producers will face non-tariff barriers on the community market (if Moldova does not sign the Free Trade Agreement). The higher import taxes will lead to rises in consumer prices and investment products imported from the EU. This would affect the competitiveness of the Moldovan economy, the investment climate and the people’s welfare.

According to Adrian Lupusor, the Moldovan producers will be able to export products of animal origin to the EU. Now Moldova exports only bee honey and will soon export powdered eggs.

Russia will remain yet the main destination for Moldovan migrants. More than half of the remittances come from this country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said Moldova chose to become part of the EU, including economically, and this will help it to modernize the economy, to change the economic organizational model. On the other hand, the free trade regime with the EU does not mean that Moldova will be unable to develop the traditional commercial relations with Russia and other CIS states. “We want Moldova to become a zone of interest of the East and West, not a zone of disagreements between the East and West,” he stated.