The European Union and the Moldovan authorities should suggest new approaches to facilitate the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) in the Transnistrian region as the authorities in Tiraspol will avoid doing this on different pretexts, considers expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul” Valentin Lozovanu, who carried out a study on the issue, IPN reports.
The expert said the Transnistrian private companies that export to the EU should be further supported as they are interested in complying with the imposed requirements. This will enable to avoid excessively politicizing the dialogue between Chisinau and Tiraspol and to identify solutions to meet the needs of businesspeople and inhabitants of the Transnistrian region. The changes in the region’s economic structure, which are already noticed, influence the local decision makers. This approach, together with particular favorable developments at regional and international levels, could lead to an improvement in the political dialogue and identification of new compromise solutions, based on common interests.
According to Valentin Lozovanu, several measures would facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the DCFTA. Customs control should be ensured on the Transnistrian segment of the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. Another measure is to engage international organizations as key partners for Chisinau and Tiraspol so that they offer technical and financial assistance to harmonize the legislation and facilitate commercial exchanges. The EU, together with other donors, could temper the period of adjusting the modernization of the economic legislation in the region and could provide assistance in harmonizing the legal framework in the area of phytosanitary quarantine.
Improved coordination of the services on both sides of the Nistru River is also required. For example, a group should be set up to coordinate the solving of the existing problems related to the implementation of quality standards. Among other measures are to invite representatives of Tiraspol to take part in the activity of inspection institutions as observers and to create local offices of the National Food Safety Agency in Transnistria, for example in Tiraspol and Rybnitsa, outfitted with appropriate labs.
