The European Parliament today adopted a resolution calling on the EU institutions to grant EU candidate status to the Republic of Moldova “on the basis of merit”. It also calls for a “clear and firm” political signal to be made at the European Council meeting in June regarding Moldova’s European path.

The MEPs call on the European Commission to swiftly complete its assessment and to provide Moldova with its full assistance during this process. “The Moldovan authorities are undoubtedly on the right track by adopting key reforms, notably on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, which will ensure that the country complies with the Copenhagen criteria that accession countries must fulfil, and which are aimed at implementing the AA/DCFTA in full”, says the resolution.

Further, the European Parliament encourages the Moldovan authorities to continue on its path of reforms that will improve the lives of its citizens and bring the country closer to European standards.

The resolution also notes that, “similarly to Ukraine, the concrete prospect of joining the EU is an essential element of hope that will maintain the morale of the Moldovan population during this period of extreme insecurity and material hardship”.

MEP Siegfried Mureșan stated that the Republic of Moldova is as important for the security and stability of the European Union as Ukraine. “The whole of Europe has seen this in recent months, with the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moldovan authorities and citizens acted in a European spirit and provided food, shelter and medical care to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who entered the country fleeing the war. Therefore, my goal from the beginning has been that everything that the European Parliament offers to Ukraine in terms of the European perspective should also be offered to the Republic of Moldova”, underlined the MEP.