Negotiations of 2012, Info-Prim Neo retrospective

[Article of the series “Year 2012: figures and facts”] [– January 18:] The technical consultations on the launch of the talks on the agreement to create the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Moldova and the European Union were opened. The participants in the preparatory meeting discussed in Chisinau aspects concerning the structure and schedule of the negotiations, the team of negotiators and the technical assistance from which Moldova will benefit. [– February 9:] The ninth round of talks on the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union took place in Brussels. The participants continued the discussions on the general principles of the agreement, especially the chapters on justice, freedom and security, economy and sector and financial cooperation. There were also reviewed the results of the technical round of discussions of January 18. [– February 28-29:] The first round of Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format of 2012 took place in Ireland’s capital Dublin. It was the second round of negotiations since their resumption at the end of November 2011, after a hiatus of almost six years. The talks focused on the mechanism of interaction between the negotiation participants and the confidence-building working groups. [– March 19- 23:] The first round of talks on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Moldova and the EU opened in Chisinau. It focused on the legal aspects of the future accord. There were created 13 technical groups within which the experts will discuss such subjects as trade in goods and services, competition, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, customs administration, energy, and public procurement. [– March 21:] The Government of Moldova opened the negotiations for a tranche of €10 million with the European Commission, as technical support for the justice reform. The draft agreement envisions the allocation of €2.8 million as support for the Ministry of Justice as institution that coordinates the implementation of the reform, and another €2 million for ensuring the processes preceding the trials. [– March 22:] The last round of talks on the amendments to the Moldova – EU Visa Liberalization Agreement took place in Brussels. The amendments are aimed at extending the concessions for obtaining visas by Moldovans, especially as regards the visa application procedures, and the groups of people who can benefit from tax exemptions. [–March 22:] The tenth round of talks on the Moldova – EU Association Agreement took place in Chisinau. Executive Director for Europe and Central Asia at the European External Action Service, Chief Negotiator on behalf of the EU Miroslav Lajcak said that Moldova achieved remarkable results in the negotiations on the Association Agreement and the Visa Liberalization Agreement. [– April 17-18:] The second round of the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format of 2012 was held in Austria’s capital Vienna. It centered on aspects concerning the compilation of the agenda, the periodicity of meetings, the role of the confidence-building working groups in the negotiation process, and the method of formalizing the results of the talks. [– April 18:] There were closed the negotiations between the EU and Moldova on the protection of geographical indications. The agreement plays the role of a dynamic instrument that would lead to the improvement of the quality of products traded between the EU and Moldova. [– May 2:] The Moldova-EU consultations on Common Security and Defense Policy opened in Chisinau. The working group presented the main developments in the process of preparing the negotiations on the framework cooperation agreement with the EU on the Common Security and Defense Policy, which will define the conditions for Moldova’s possible participation in the EU crisis management operations. [– June 5:] Moldova hosted the first meeting of informal dialogues within the Eastern Partnership. The discussions centered on the implementation of reforms by the EaP member states after the Eastern Partnership Summit of September 2011 and the key priorities in implementing the EaP roadmap. [– June 12:] The second round of talks on the Free Trade Area between Moldova and the EU started in Brussels. The talks focused mainly on the finalization of the legal texts in all the fields of the Free Trade Area. [– June 11- 15:] The 11th round of talks on the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union was held in Brussels. The agenda included the contention of the talks on the preamble, the institutional, general and final provisions and the chapters on justice, freedom and security, economy and sector and financial cooperation. In the end, there was signed the third Progress Report on the Negotiation of the Association Agreement. [– July 12-13:] The third round of the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format of 2012 took place in Vienna. The meeting was attended by representatives of Moldova, Transnistria, the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine, the U.S. and the EU. [– September 11-14:] The third round of talks on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Moldova and the EU was held in Chisinau. The sides continued to finalize the legal texts of the agreement. [– September 12-13:] The fourth round of the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format of 2012 took place in Vienna. Transnistria’s representatives accused the official Chisinau of placing hindrances to the Transnistrian banking system, saying that if the situation does not change, they will have to adopt a tougher position in the talks. [– September 14:] The 12th round of talks on the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union was held in Chisinau. Negotiations on most chapters of the draft Association Agreement between Moldova and the EU have been provisionally closed. Discussions also continued on the provisions concerning the adjustment of the national legislation to the EU standards. [– November 20-23:] The fourth round of talks on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Moldova and the EU took place in Brussels. The sides discussed the tariff offers regarding the goods; access to the market and the agreement’s chapters on intellectual property, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and the technical barriers. The debates centered mainly on the possible liberalization of the industrial sector, especially the textiles. [– November 23:] The 13th round of talks on the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union was held in Brussels. There were discussed the preamble, the general objectives and principles, and the institutional, general and final provisions of the agreement as well as the chapters on justice, freedom and security, economy and sector and financial cooperation. [– November 28-30:] The last round of the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format of 2012 took place in Dublin. The negotiations were held under the aegis of the Irish OSCE Chairmanship. The participants took stock of the developments in the negotiation process this year and pleaded for keeping the pace in the promotion of the confidence-building measures, the work of the working groups and the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol at different levels. In the socioeconomic sector, there were discussed the ensuring of the free movement of persons, the facilitation of traffic in the Transnistrian region, the development of road infrastructure and others. [– December 6:] The Ministry of Education of Moldova closed the negotiations on the financing agreement to the value of US$40 million with the International Development Association (IDA). The largest part of the money will be invested in the rehabilitation of the infrastructure of 94 district schools and in the outfitting with furniture, equipment and information technology. The project will also support activities to train the teaching personnel, to modernize the education management information system and to improve the student assessment system. [Alina Marin, Info- Prim Neo]