“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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“The Association Agreement will lead to Moldova’s loss of sovereignty”
Director of the European Institute for Political Studies, political analyst Viorel Cibotaru said that Moldova keeps the right to take political decisions, including to review the political parameters of its internal and external policy. None of the provisions of the Association Agreement with the EU and the whole package that establishes relations with this entity speak about the loss of sovereignty. The assertion that the Association Agreement will lead to Moldova’s loss of sovereignty is an elementary lie.
“It is something else. It is about the delegation of a part of the exclusive right to take particular decisions about a joint decision-making format, within the Administration Board of the Association Agreement. From this angle, Moldova’s sovereignty will not be affected. On the contrary, it will be strengthened by those parts of sovereignty that are delegated to each of the EU Member State and that form this decision-making council for implementing the Association Agreement,” said the analyst. According to Viorel Cibotaru, Moldova obtains access to different decision-making formats within the EU, including the foreign policy, security and defense formats.
“The factor of our cooperation within this accord with the EU Member States does not modify the policy regime in the country, does not limit the people’s right to expression and to taking political decisions by free elections, etc. Thus, the people’s sovereignty is no way infringed,” said Viorel Cibotaru. According to him, by signing the Association Agreement with the European Union, the things that will take place in the EU will depend on Moldova’s position as well. “Even if Moldova’s population is insignificant compared with the population of the EU Member States, now that Moldova signed the Association Agreement, its vote will be taken into account, as the people’s wishes will be”.
Viorel Cibotaru added that any accord provides particular rights, opportunities as well as obligations and responsibilities. “The obligations we assume in the context of the concessions deriving from the Association Agreement are regarded by some as a loss of the right to do nothing,” he stated.
The analyst noted that things in the Customs Union, which is proposed as an alternative to the EU, are more rigid. One loses the rights within the Customs Union. They are written on paper in an erroneous way and this equality of rights is neither supported nor respected.
The EU Delegation to Moldova says on its website that the Association Agreement does not infringe on Moldova's sovereignty in any way. On the contrary, it re-affirms the EU’s commitment to Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will help strengthen these as Moldova’s economy and financial status will be boosted by the DCFTA, improved public and economic governance and, ultimately, the consolidation of Moldovan society. Moldova's participation in a customs union, on the contrary, would reduce Moldova’s sovereignty as it would lead to Moldova devolving its trade policy to an external, supra-national body.
Alina Marin, IPN
