Fifty-four or 29% of the 203 measures planned to be taken in 2014-2015 within the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) were implemented and 46 or 26% of the 176 European directives were transposed to the national legislation. The figures were presented by Inga Ionesii, division head at the Ministry of the Economy, in a conference that centered on the results achieved during the first year of implementation of the accord. The event was staged by the European Business Association, IPN reports.
According to Inga Ionesii, the benefits will be felt in one-two years. Moldova’s exports to the EU already increased, to 62% of all the exports. However, the economic entities reorient themselves to the EU market not so swiftly and do not fully use the quotas on the export of particular products granted by the EU to Moldova.
“When these quotas were set, the economic entities said they are low. But the export quota of 40,000 tonnes of apples, for example, wasn’t used. In 2014 (September – December), there were exported 1,585 tonnes of apples, while in 2015 - 565 tonnes for now. The export quotas for grapes, plums, tomatoes and garlic haven’t been used at all. As regards wheat, corn and barley, the situation is better. The export quota for wheat was 75,000 tonnes, but the real exports were twice larger. We hope the agricultural producers that benefitted from grants for restructuring and modernization within international projects will show that they can export not only grains, but also other products,” stated the official.
Speaking about the diversification of exports and reorientation to other markets, Inga Ionesii said that today there is sufficient relevant information for exporters. Training courses and seminars are staged weekly not only by the Government and ministries, but also by business associations, the Chamber of Trade and Industry and think tanks.
Within the conference, there were presented communications and provided answers to economic entities’ questions about the export to the EU, the specific customs procedures and the available concessions. European Business Association executive director Marina Rufa said the Association aims to help economic entities implement the provisions of the DCFTA, being convinced that only the well-informed companies can reorient themselves to the EU market and obtain the expected results.
