Moldova has chances not to repeat the mistakes made by other states in the process of coming closer to the European Union. The Foreign Policy Association (APE) carried out a study concerning the experience of the Visegrad Group (the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary), with lessons that Moldova can learn. The Moldovan authorities are urged to analyze very well the impact of the creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with the EU and to inform society about the expected benefits and possible provocations.
In a news conference at IPN, APE executive director Victor Chirila said the changes envisioned by the DCFTA Agreement with the EU are projected to modify the situation in the country. “It is a long-term process that will prepare the country for entry into the EU. We will have to implement not at all easy reforms. It’s important to examine the experience of other states that went through similar processes and that found solutions to the challenges. The APE set out to contribute to this process, assisting the authorities in coping with the challenges and in implementing reforms,” he stated.
The authorities are recommended to set clear political objectives and to ensure firm political administration. “These ingredients are more important than any other strategy for promoting the benefits of the Free Trade Area. Slovakia, for example, invested a lot in promoting the benefits of coming closer to the EU, but namely the commitment of the political leaders determined the success of the efforts made in the country,” said Victor Chirila. Another recommendation to the authorities is not to blindly carry out the provisions of the DCFTA Agreement. The European experts advise finding the best method of implementing these provisions, in accordance with the country’s needs, so that they have the best impact.
The authorities are urged to measure the possible impact of the new legislation concerning the business sector. This impact must be calculated so as not to transform the DCFTA with the EU into a burden for the business people. The Government should work out a communication strategy centering on the integration into the EU. “Even if the authorities announced that such a strategy will be formulated, it wasn’t thought up yet. We think that such a strategy is needed even before the elections. The Czech Republic for instance worked out such a strategy before the negotiations on admission to the EU,” stated the APE director.
Another recommendation is to open regional information centers on the European integration in each district. The problems related to the agricultural sector must be dealt with so as to prevent this sector from becoming a conservative force that will oppose reformation. “In Slovakia, where the agricultural sector is not as important as in Moldova, owing to an insufficient dialogue with representatives of this sector, agriculture became protectionist and resistant to reforms. One of the major goals of the state policies is to orient the industries to export. The Government must regularly hold consultations with the business sector. Polish experts said that namely by consultations with the business sector, was Warsaw able to promote correct policies,” said Victor Chirila.
The authorities should also create a broad national body that would examine the problems related to the European integration. Poland had such a council under the aegis of the Prime Minister. A responsible agency is needed to guide the implementation of the DCFTA Agreement with the EU.
Georgian experts Eka Tkeshelashvili and Tamara Kovziridze told the same news conference that Georgia goes through the same processes as Moldova, while the DCFTA Agreement with the EU is in accordance with the country’s development goals. The future of the two countries – Moldova and Georgia – is decided at this moment and powerful unity is required on the part of society and the political class.
The report “Learned lessons for the Republic of Moldova – the Visegrad countries’ experience concerning the economic integration into the EU” was worked out within the project “V4 Supporting Economic Integration of Georgia and Moldova with the EU” that is implemented with support from the International Visegrad Fund of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs within the Extended Standard Grants Program. The project is implemented by the Georgian Institute for Strategic Studies in partnership with the Foreign Policy Association of Moldova, the Slovak Atlantic Commission, demosEUROPA – the Center for European Strategy, the European Policy Institute ROPEUM, and the Center for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy.
