European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Štefan Füle and Prime Minister Vlad Filat have today signed a Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their member states and the Republic of Moldova. The protocol will enable Moldova to participate in seven Union programs, Info-Prim Neo reports. After the signing of the protocol, Vlad Filat said Moldova obtained a very important mechanism for hastening the adjustment of the national standards in different areas to the EU standards. He stressed that progress is made in the talks on signing the Association Agreement between Moldova and the EU. “I'm glad that Moldova is the first state in the eastern dimension of the European Neighborhood Policy that signs such a protocol,” said Vlad Filat. For his part, Commissioner Ştefan Fule said all Moldova's 27 friends have been present in Chisinau today. “This year was a good year for Moldova as the Premier and the other partners from the governing alliance managed to take a step forward and offered the Moldovan people new possibilities. I'm pleased to sign this protocol that allows Moldova to join a number of EU programs,” he said. The seven programs are: Customs 2013; Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Program (CIP) – Intelligent Energy Europe; CIP – Entrepreneurship and Innovation; CIP – ICT Policy Support; Consumer Policy; SESAR and Health. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed on the specific terms and conditions of participation before proceeding to each separate program.