At the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit of November 29, 2013, Moldova will enter a new stage of relations with the European Union. What will it bring and how will it influence the life of the Moldovans from the country and from abroad? What will each of us gain and what should we do for this benefit to become possible? How will the new conditions affect Moldova’s relations with other countries? The IPN Agency aims to look for answers to these and other questions worrying society, together with you, within the series of articles “Association with the EU to everyone’s understanding
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Moldova’s chances to sign the Association Agreement with the EU by June 2014 are real. It depends only on the continuity of the reforms under implementation and the political stability. If the agreement is not signed by then, the process can be delayed until 2015, as the European parliamentary elections will start. During the electoral years, it is harder to negotiate and sign agreements. The European Commission will have to deal with internal problems. That’s why the Moldovan Government must devote its attention to the adoption of reforms and their implementation, while the people should comply with the European standards.
Foreign policy expert Victor Juc said there are no reasons for Moldova to miss the signing of the Association Agreement by June 2014. The chances may be compromised only in the case of an internal political crisis or the non-compliance with the European conditions. The most important conditions of the EU are to ensure the independence of justice and efficient public administration and to fight corruption.
The Association Agreement is important because it will help bring the infrastructure and public services much closer to the European ones. The creation of the free trade area is good for the businesspeople, especially those who have commercial relations with the European countries, while the abolition of the visa regime will cut the queues at embassies and will enable the people to travel freely in the EU for 90 days during six months, said Victor Juc.
Viorica Antonov, expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul”, said that Moldova must wait for a wave of recommendations and suggestions concerning the continuation of reforms, especially in the justice sector and strengthening of the democratic institutions. The state must continue the internal reforms until it achieves the final goal – the European integration.
Political expert Veaceslav Berbeca, of IDIS “Viitorul”, said that when Moldova comes closer to the EU, the people, companies and state institutions will have to respect the democratic character in everything. The fight against corruption must be continued. The institutions must be stable, while the economy must be competitive. In order to enjoy only benefits from the association with the EU and to increase Moldova’s chances to be an ally of the European countries, the people must respect the European principles and contribute to the implementation of the newly adopted laws.
“There are clear rules in the EU that must be obeyed,” said Veaceslav Berbeca. According to him, the adoption of laws has positive trends, but work is yet to be done to implement them. The longer the delay, the shorter is the time remaining.
Elena Bolshenko, IPN
