The European Parliament’s report on the implementation of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova was adopted by the EP because a number of conditionality elements, reforms were fulfilled by Moldova, USR-PLUS MP Dragoș Tudorache, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur for the Republic of Moldova, was quoted by IPN as saying in a news conference.
The MP stated that the general impression at EU level is that Moldova is late in doing these reforms, but the conclusions of the experts of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, who followed the fulfillment of the conditionality elements at technical level, show that these were met and the report was thus adopted. Among these conditions were the annulment of the obtaining of citizenship by investment, “cleaning” of the financial-fiscal service, several reforms in the justice sector and the adoption of the law on NGOs. The steps were taken with difficulty and at the last moment and this generated questions as to the political will of Chisinau to do these reforms.
According to the Rapporteur, the reforms should be regarded as a thing needed by the citizens of Moldova and this is more important than what the EU, the IMF and others expect. The reforms from the very beginning formed part of the conditionality elements that the EU and Moldova’s international partners imposed for disbursing assistance to Moldova so as to stimulate the continuation of reforms. The pace was insufficient and unsatisfactory as €40 million was lost, but this money would have been useful to Moldova.
The MEP related that the past year witnessed different challenges at political level, government replacements, the COVID-19 crisis that made all the other important files related to the relationship between Moldova and the EU to be considered through the angle of the assistance needed to fight the pandemic and this had an impact on the development of the relations during the past six months. The report was adopted several weeks before the presidential elections, but this wasn’t done on purpose and the report should not be used as an instrument in the democratic political competition in Chisinau.
In another development, Dragoș Tudorache said those who manage Moldova – the President, the Government – bear responsibility for what the Republic of Moldova does as a state, for how the political commitments undertaken by Moldova are implemented, including the future of the liberalized visa regime. “At the moment, the current Government that is supported by the incumbent President holds power and the political responsibility for what Moldova does or does not is borne by it. I hope this major benefit that Moldova enjoys will not be lost. Even now, the fact that the Moldovan citizens can travel freely in Europe is an important thing for them,” he stated noting it is the responsibility of the Government and President to ensure that this freedom gained by the society’s work and effort is not lost.
The European Parliament’s report on the implementation of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova was presented in the October 19 session of the EP. In a reaction later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova noted the comprehensive character of the document, which shows the importance attached by the European Parliament to the relationship with the Republic of Moldova and to the support for Moldova’s European agenda.
