“The Association Agreement will lead to Moldova’s loss of sovereignty”, “The Association Agreement will further enflame Russia-Moldova relations”, “Consumer prices will increase as a result of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area”. These are only some of the most spread hypotheses about the Association Agreement with the European Union. Are they true theories or just myths? IPN aimed to find out the answer from a number of independent experts and officials working in the addressed areas.
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"EU assistance is not enough to cover the reform needs"
Executive director of the Public Policy Institute Arcadie Barbarosie said the reformation of the country is an internal matter of Moldova. Not the European Union needs reforms, but Moldova. We must plan these reforms and identify resources to manage them sufficiently and to implement them. The European Union can help us. First if all by consultancy, not by buying furniture, computers or new comfortable chairs for chiefs.
Arcadie Barbarosie noted that the reforms include important changes and depend on the mentality of those who work in the public service and on the political will. “Who prevents us from fighting corruption at all the levels in the absence of resources from the EU? It is not the lack of resources, but the lack of political will and the high-level corruption that prevent us. The reforms indeed necessitate resources, but these resources must be expressed by political will, insistence and courage. These are the most important resources,” he stated.
Things in some of the sectors advance without great insistence. The analyst gave as example the education sector. “Missis Maia Sandu (minister of education, e.n.) pursues profound reforms in education. Yes, there is technical assistance in this respect. But the political will of the minister and her team is the most important resource. We often generate a myth in order to hide the inconsistency of our plans and the lack of reformation will. The absence of capacity is explained by the fact that the EU does not give us money. But, in fact, the EU gives us money and this money is stolen,” said Arcadie Barbarosie.
On its official website, the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova says that the EU has already been assisting Moldova with the reform process for a number of years. In the trade area, reform assistance was launched well before negotiations on the Association Agreement began – starting from the signing of the EU-Moldova European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan in February 2005. Trade reforms benefitted from assistance through a special Comprehensive Institution Building program worth €41 million (2011-2013). These efforts were part of a wider assistance package to Moldova within the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument worth €135 million only in 2013. It included financial assistance as well as training and advisory activities to the central institutions. Bilateral assistance from EU Member States is also given in coordination with, and in addition to, the European Commission's efforts. Further significant assistance, devoted specifically to the implementation of the DCFTA, is planned in the new European Neighborhood Instrument (2014-2020).
Alina Marin, IPN
