Moldova to become full-right member of Energy Community till end of 2009

Moldova will become a full-right member of the Energy Community till later this year, Fabrizio Barbaso, the deputy director of the Directorate for Energy and Transport of the European Commission, told a news conference in Chisinau, on Wednesday. The conference was held after signing a Memo on ending the talks on Moldova's accession to the Energy Community, Info-Prim Neo reports. Moldova's deputy minister for economy and commerce, Tudor Copaci, says the accession will allow for Moldova's integrating into the regional energy market, will enhance its degree of energy safety. The goal is to create a proper economic and legal frame to allow the energy market to work and to attract investments, in conditions of safety and protection for the environment, Copaci said. The official says Moldova's commitments for this year consist in harmonizing the national legislation regulating the energy sector with the European game rules. Another objective is to institute an Agency for Energy Efficiency. Fabrizio Barbaso says that after signing the Memorandum and performing some technical procedures, the EU member countries are to endorse the decision on Moldova's accession. “We hope all the procedures will be over by the end of the year. We hope that Moldova – after becoming a member of the Energy Community and having the law compatible with the European law – will actively participate in the energy market, will gain new opportunities to diversify its energy resources, will easier attract investments to modernize the sector. There will emerge new opportunities to implement projects on renewable energy resources,” the European official said. Moldova's joining the Energy Community is a key objective of the country's Energy Strategy till 2020, adopted by the government on 21.08. 2007. Moldova has actively taken part in the works of the Energy Community as an observer since November 2006. On July 15, 2008, it started to negotiate Moldova's adhesion to the Energy Community as a full member.