At the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit of November 29, 2013, Moldova will enter a new stage of relations with the European Union. What will it bring and how will it influence the life of the Moldovans from the country and from abroad? What will each of us gain and what should we do for this benefit to become possible? How will the new conditions affect Moldova’s relations with other countries? The IPN Agency aims to look for answers to these and other questions worrying society, together with you, within the series of articles “Association with the EU to everyone’s understanding”.
----
The association with the European Union will offer more opportunities to villagers given that the EU places emphasis on the disadvantaged areas. The European community’s objectives center on the eradication of poverty, modernization of infrastructure and protection of the environment. This way, the attractiveness of Moldova’s rural areas will increase and will bring benefits to the population, said Corina Gaibu, economist at the Institute for Development and Social Initiative (IDIS) “Viitorul”.
The association with the EU will reduce the difference between the quality of life in towns and villages, while agriculture and the farmers will enjoy advantages when European projects are implemented. However, besides benefits there are also risks related to the competitiveness of the national products on the European market. “We must understand that the national producers face competition now too. Many Moldovan products on the home market gave ground to Ukrainian or Russian products,” said the IDIS expert.
According to Corina Gaibu, Moldova, in the relations with the EU, will keep an advantage as regards the cost of labor force. Unlike other communities of states, the EU balances the possible risks by financial support and knowledge improvement programs. This diminishes the risk of losing competitiveness, while in the long run these activities produce the best results.
The European Union offers export opportunities, but the producers must make effort to meet the EU quality standards and requirements. “Already half of Moldova’s exports are directed to the European market. This shows that most of the national producers know the European quality standards and homologated and certified their products according to the European standards,” said Corina Gaibu.
She also said that those who will not cope with the requirements will either sell their products on the home market or will have to take attitude. These requirements are minimal, not complicated conditions that protect the consumers and that should be implemented in Moldova too. It is important that the opportunities be provided equally, to everyone, so that there are no privileged companies. Moldova will obtain benefits after the signing of the Association Agreement both by important restructuring projects and by financial support.
Corina Gaibu stated that the signing of the Association Agreement is a priority for Moldova, while the benefits that it will gain are not only material. They include better living standards and high principles at organizational level that cannot be purchased exclusively for money. The large companies that will enter the home market will invest in Moldova and we will gain Western experience in management and organization. For its part, the EU is interested in stabilizing the situation in the region by promoting correct democratic organizational principles and economic sustainability.
Alina Marin, IPN
