IPN on October 9 published an OP-ED article entitled “Pro-reform agenda instead of blocking of macro-financial assistance “, written by pundit in political sciences Dionis Cenusa. The article says the main forces in the European Parliament want the European assistance to be used as leverage for penalizing the Government’s political decision to tailor the electoral system. At the same time, the European Commission and the Council of the EU prefer to engage Chisinau in more structural reforms, broadening the conditionality and financial assistance. The most robust criticism was leveled by the European People’s Party that practically retransmits the approach of its political allies in Chisinau – the extraparliamentary opposition led by Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase. Their position remains intact and, namely, that any macro-financial assistance should be provided only after the mixed-member electoral system introduced in the summer of 2017, in the absence of a broad political consensus, is annulled. The European Social-Democrats tried to dilute the criticism about the stabilizing role played by the political partners, Vladimir Plahotniuc’s Democrats, in the economy and resumption of reforms, including using the data of the IMF. The EU’s tactic to multiply the conditionality elements accepted by the government of Moldova seems to have a broader purpose than the isolation of the government. But any positive cooperation between the current government and the EU gradually deprives the extraparliamentary opposition of the argument that the Democrats hamper and prevent the European integration process in the country.
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The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will strengthen cooperation in the joint control of persons, units of transport and goods at the state border. During the official visit paid by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodimir Groisman to Moldova, there was signed an agreement on such control at joint Moldovan-Ukrainian checkpoints, including on the central segment, between the Governments of Moldova and Ukraine. Owing to the stimulation of crossborder cooperation, an efficient fight will be ensured against illegal migration and illegal activities on the common state border. The document is valid for a five-year period and was signed to fulfill the commitments assumed by the two states through the Association Agreements with the EU.
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Two Italian companies announced their intention to invest over €1.5million in Moldova. The first company will specialize in growing wheat, corn and other organic products that will be exported to the EU. Also, a production group from Torino plans to open a steel and iron processing factory in Moldova. The director general of the Moldova Investment Attraction and Export Promotion Organization Vitalie Zaharia spoke about the results of the Moldova Business Week 2017 that was held during October 3-6.
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Chisinau on November 14 and 15 will host the Media Forum 2017 that will involve journalist, editors, media managers and other members of editorial staffs of Moldova, representatives of media outlets and associations, advertising agencies, academic community afferent to the professional training of journalists, experts from the country and abroad. The participants can register on www.mediaforum.md. The organizers aim to debate the main problems faced by the Moldovan journalistic community, possible solutions to these problems and for stimulating reforms in the mass media. There will be examined the implementation of the roadmap for developing the mass media in Moldova, which was worked out and supplemented in the Media Forums of 2015 and 2016. In the opening of the Forum, speeches will be given by the EU Ambassador to Moldova Peter Michalko, Germany’s Ambassador Julia Monar, Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu and representatives of media NGOs. Later, a debate will be held on the theme “False news, manipulation of information and distrust in the mass media” that will involve national and foreign experts and officials.
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The working agendas of the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Moldova were synchronized in a special meeting of the two institutions on October 13. The discussions involved ministers and MPs. The joint meeting of the Government and Parliament was chaired by Prime Minister Pavel Filip and Speaker Andrian Candu. The meeting examined the implementation of the priority reform action roadmap in the second half of 2017 and the legislative plan for implementing the Moldova – European Union Association Agreement for 2017. Thus, of the over 100 measures defined in the roadmap, 56 have been carried out. Eleventh measures are overdue, while the rest are to be implemented in October-December. Among the overdue measures is the ensuring of the functioning of the National Integrity Authority that does not yet have a president. The meeting also discussed the steps that need to be taken to get the €100 million in macro-financial assistance from the EU.
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The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) called upon all the pro-European opposition forces of the right to establish a pro-European political partnership. If this chance is missed, the Republic of Moldova will be irremediably turned into the poorest country in Europe with a depopulated area, into a regional money laundering center and a problem at the border with the EU, stated the chairman of the PLDM Viorel Cibotaru. He told a news conference that the October 3 debates held in the European Parliament clearly showed that the Socialist-Democratic government leads Moldova to the dark and isolated past and the most prominent accomplishments of the period after 2009, such as the signing of the Association Agreement and the liberalization of the visa regime, are brought into question by the camouflaged PDM-PSRM alliance.
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Experts of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) came to Moldova on a working visit to assess the state of the medicines control lab of the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices. Depending on the results of the assessment, the lab could be authorized to join the European Network of Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCL).
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The Cabinet approved the initiation of negotiations and the signing of Addendum No.1 to the financing agreement between the Moldovan Government and the European Union concerning the rehabilitation of the electric transport networks of the state-run company IS “Moldelectrica”, which was signed in Chisinau on December 17, 2012. By this agreement, the European Union, represented by the European Commission, commits itself to providing €8 million in the form of a grant for implementing the project to rehabilitate the electric transport networks of IS “Moldelectrica”, through the Neighborhood Investment Fund. The addendum specifies some aspects of the agreement, extending simultaneously the project implementation period from 54 to 66 months.
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During the last two years, Moldova’s legislation in the field of labor has been modernized in accordance with the EU standards. The made changes, including the provisions that are yet to take effect, are designed to ensure equality for all the sides involved in labor relations, Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection Stela Grigoras stated in a seminar centering on the labor legislation reform. Stela Grigoras noted that besides the made amendments, a bill was drafted to transpose the European directive on collective redundancies to the national legislation. The draft law will be submitted to the Government for approval by this yearend. Sergiu Morari, division head at the Ministry, said that three laws to amend and supplement the Labor Code have been adopted this year. A compromise between the social partners was reached on most of these. The amendments allow for the transposition of four European directives and are designed to improve the social climate and the business climate.
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Prime Minister Pavel Filip, in the recent meeting of the Cabinet, referred to the speculations about the fulfillment by the Republic of Moldova of the conditions imposed by the EU for providing macro-financial assistance. According to the Premier, half of the conditions were fulfilled. “We keep to schedule and there is no problem in this regard,” Pavel Filip stated. He noted that the rise in budget revenues this year, which cover all the planned costs, enabled not to include the first tranche of the macro-financial assistance promised by the EU in the bill to correct the 2017 state budget. At the same time, Pavel Filip said the country might not get the assistance his year for technical reasons, but will definitely obtain it next year.
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The European Union announced that it will not transfer any further funds to the Moldovan state budget to support reforms in the justice sector. In a press release, the EU Delegation to Moldova said the EU has closely observed the reform process and noted that the Moldovan authorities showed insufficient commitment to reforming the justice sector in 2014 and 2015. With insufficient allocation of funds and personnel, the necessary reforms have not been carried out. As a result, progress has not been sufficient. This means that the Moldovan authorities have not fulfilled the EU’s conditions for receiving the last financial transfer under the justice reform program, which amount to €28 million. This sum will not be paid to the Moldovan state budget, but remain with the EU.
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Minister of Justice Vladimir Cebotari provided particular details after the EU on October 11 announced that it will not transfer any further funds to the Moldovan state budget to support reforms in the justice sector. “We should be correct, clear and should not become involved in the speculations about the causes and motives for such a decision that were launched by a number of sources,” he stated. According to Vladimir Cebotari, the EU’s press release says it clearly that the Moldovan authorities showed insufficient commitment to reforming the justice sector in 2014 and 2015 and it is not about one colleague or another. He noted the shortcomings of 2014 and 2015 were dealt with in 2016 and 2017 and all the reports on the justice sector reform strategy show this. “We should do our homework and not allow the same mistakes to be made in the future, even if another party will be in power,” stated the minister.
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Former Romanian President Traian Basescu, president of honor of the National Unity Party of Moldova, said the reunion of the two states situated on the sides of the Prut is a correct solution for the Moldovan citizens so that these have prospects, prosperity and a security guarantee. Speaking in the press club meeting “Social resonance” that brings together mainly Russian-language Moldovan journalists, Traian Basescu said he decided to become involved in Moldovan politics because Moldova’s road to the EU goes through Bucharest and the assistance this can provide and the experience it can share can be of real use.
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Of the over 100 measures defined in the second roadmap that includes objectives of the national plan action for implementing the Association Agreement with the EU and the conditions imposed for receiving macro- financial assistance, 56 have been carried out. Eleventh measures are overdue, while the rest are to be implemented in October-December. Among the overdue measures is the ensuring of the functioning of the National Integrity Authority that does not yet have a president. The subjects were discussed in the joint meeting of the Government and Parliament on October 13.
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The prosecutor general and the minister of justice should not form part of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the hearings should be open, while the court decisions should be published, except for cases when minors and victims of sexual abuse need to be protected, said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks, who completed his five-day visit to Chisinau. Asked about the EU’s official announcement that Moldova will not receive the last tranche of the financial assistance intended for its justice sector, Nils Muiznieks said this announcement transmits a powerful signal to the authorities – that a lot is yet to be done to reform justice.
The summary of news from the IPN series “European Integration” is produced with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany and can be further disseminated on condition that the source is indicated.