European Commission to support Moldova towards international economic integration

The European Commission (EC) will offer assistance to the Republic of Moldova in order to integrate in the economic and social European structures. So says the project of “Assistance and implementation of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and Moldova-EU Action Plan within the European Neighborhood Policy”, launched on June 2, in Chisinau. The head of the delegation of the European Commission to Moldova, the ambassador Cesare de Montis declared, at the project’s launching conference, that there is no act in the Moldovan legislation that would be tangent to the Moldova-EU action plan. According to him, in order to adjust the legislation of the Republic of Moldova to European standards coordination capacities are needed. In this context, EC will offer assistance for developing the institutional capacities and for improving their functioning, as well as adjusting the legal framework to European standards. “The EU’s Neighborhood policy represents the main implementation instrument of these objectives. Starting 2007, the Republic of Moldova could become an immediate neighbor of EU, that is the reason why both sides are interested in obtaining good results”, the ambassador added. According to the speaker Marian Lupu, a special and very important dimension in the context of European integration is adjusting the legislation, without which the state policies can not be brought into unison with the European norms. Lupu mentioned that he was waiting for prompter changes on this issue, taking into consideration the term of one year since approving the Moldova-EU action Plan and considers that delaying its implementation is the result of little experience and professional abilities in this area. “The project financed by EU includes consultative assistance which aims to strengthen the capacities of the local structures involved in the implementation process of the Action Plan Moldova-EU, fact which will contribute to urging its implementation, but also the quality of the obtained results” states Marian Lupu. The assistance project of the European Commission will be finished in 2008 and includes a budget of 3.9 million euros. The Action Plan Moldova-EU within the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) was signed on February 25, 2005 in Brussels. The implementation of this political document which sets strategic objectives of the collaboration between Moldova and EU will contribute to fulfilling the provisions of the Partnership and Collaboration Agreement (PCA) and will support the goal of the Republic of Moldova regarding the integration in the European economic and social structures. Joining WTO, adopting the Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EGPRS) and also approving the EU-Moldova Action Plan are three major initiatives of Moldova which determine the framework of the reforms aimed to strengthen the democratic institutions, to adjust the national norms and standards to the best European practices, to develop the infrastructure and to create the necessary conditions for economic growth and poverty reduction. Staring 2007 ENP will be supported by a new instrument – the European Instrument of Neighborhood and Partnership which will ease the assistance-giving procedures and will develop the EU capacity to support collaboration on its borders, inclusively through cross-border and cross-national cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and the future member states.