After the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union is signed, the Moldovan producers will go through a difficult period as they will have to comply with the European standards. But this period will be short and afterward, with the help of European funds, the quality of the Moldovan products will be greatly improved. The producers will meet the standards and there will appear competition, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov said in the program “Politica” on the channel TV7, quoted by IPN.
Vasile Bumacov said the process of informing the producers about the conditions that they will have to meet is underway. “We need our producers to fulfill the market requirements. If we want to form part of the EU, we must have the quality required there,” he stated, adding that without European support, Moldova will be unable to satisfy these requirements.
“I’m responsible for how our enterprises feel when the agreement is signed because we held negotiations and they were tough. The agricultural products will be temporarily protected. The EU will offer funds for modernization,” said Vasile Bumacov. He also said that the agreement does not envision selling farmland to foreigners and the Moldovan authorities will make sure that this thing is respected. According to the minister, the Moldovan land must enrich the Moldovans, not the foreigners.
Expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul” Viorel Chivriga said that in order to comply with the EU standards in agriculture, Moldova must have a solid examination and technology system. “At the first stage, there will be free competition. Those who will be unable to comply will have to leave,” he stated. According to him, the condition that the farmland must not be sold to foreigners is a trump card of the Moldovan authorities, which should be kept in the talks with the EU until the end.
The Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement forms part of the Association Agreement with the EU that is to be initialed at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius this November. Its conditions haven’t been made public yet. The two documents are expected to be signed by the end of next year.
