Representatives of civil society of EU member states and Moldova met at the first common dialogue forum centering on trade and sustainable development, in the context of the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), which was held in Chisinau on July 8, IPN reports.

“Expert-Grup” Center executive director Adrian Lupusor said that internal consultancy groups will play the role of an instrument for monitoring the authorities and making them more responsible in the process of implementing the Association Agreement and will also provide expertise and consultancy on the part of civil society. The Moldovan group consists of representatives of trade unions, public associations and other nongovernmental organizations.

The NGO sector will present an assessment of the implementation of the DCFTA by the authorities as regards trade and sustainable development. A number of policies required for successfully putting into practice the accord will be submitted to the Government. Adrian Lupusor considers a number of problems that in 2015 led to the worsening of the relations with the EU and to a halt in the provision of financial assistance should be solved first of all. For the Association Agreement to be implemented, Moldova needs a functional government, robust institutions and political will.

Dumitru Fornea, a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, said the forum is a platform for laying the basis of cooperation within which the sides will present the situation in the relevant areas by a series of events. The forum represents a social and civic dialogue environment where civil society can state its concerns about the implementation of the DCFTA.

The forum will be staged annually, the next one being set for next July. The participants in the first forum suggested holing such meetings more often.