No important developments were noticed in the putting into practice of the national action plan for implementing the Association Agreement with the EU for 2017-2019 towards the end of 2018. On the contrary, minor progress was made in the process. The plan implementation level last yearend was at 31.9%. In such conditions, by the end of this year the authorities should step up efforts to carry out the 969 outstanding measures, shows an alternative report presented by the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IRPE), IPN reports.
The report authors said 465 measures of those assessed by the end of 2018 were implemented, 348 are under implementation, including 48 continuous measures, while 140 weren’t carried out. Also, 25 measures were implemented before time.
According to IPRE executive director Iulian Groza, the second half of last year was marked by the lack of progress in in the political dialogue and reforms – Title II. Backsliding was witnessed as regards the quality of the EU – Moldova dialogue. No visible progress was made in investigating the banking fraud. There were identified selective justice practices that materialized in the delay in examining the appeal in the case of Shor. The funds stolen from the banking system weren’t recovered in the period. The law on noncommercial organizations wasn’t adopted. The process of creating an anticorruption court of law wasn’t initiated. Insignificant progress was made in justice, freedom and security – Title III – compared with the middle of 2018.
Moderate progress was witnessed in trade and aspects related to trade - the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU – Title V. Among the main accomplishments here is the rise in Moldova’s exports to the EU to 68.8% of all its exports last yearend.
Attending the report presentation event, Daniela Morari, secretary of state at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, said that in 2019 it will be five years since the Association Agreement with the EU started to be implemented. The next action plan will depend on the commitment implementation pace and quality this year.
Petru Macovei, facilitator of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, stated it is harder to assess the results in the implementation process as these are fewer in number and 2018 was a year when Moldova witnessed regression in many fields. “Five years of implementation of the Association Agreement, ten years of the Eastern Partnership – more could and should have been done in the period,” he noted, adding the authorities should take concrete actions following these reports and the hope is things will move on after the new Government is formed.
