Moldova to make use of Romania’s experience for EU accession

Moldova will likely call on Romanian experts on its path to joining the European Union, the Moldovan Ambassador to Romania Victor Chirila said on Monday, noting that his country aims to start access negotiations this year.

Experts for accession are to be dispatched either through the TAIEX mechanism or directly through funding by the Romanian authorities.

“We currently need experts to prepare not only for the start of negotiations with the European Union but also to prepare for each individual area, when we already start negotiations by areas, starting next year,” the diplomat said at a press briefing, Agerpres reported.

“We have to be very cautious about the commitments we are going to make, and here Romania’s experience is priceless because Romania has encountered some not-so-positive effects of the commitments made”, he added.

The diplomat also stressed that one of his country’s major objectives this year is to start accession negotiations with the European Union.

In his opinion, justice reform will be one of the most difficult chapters because there is a strong resistance from within the system.

He added that the legislation of the Republic of Moldova must be harmonised with that of the European Union, “and this can be done most easily with and through Romania, because Romania already has translated this legislation that we need”.

“Romania also has an experience, one more positive, one less positive, and we need to learn from both dimensions of this experience,” said Chirila.

The summit of the European Political Community, which will take place on 1 June in Chisinau, represents “a very strong message” that Moldova “will not be left alone under any circumstances, in any context”, Victor Chirila said.

Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022 and was granted EU candidate status in June 2022.

On 23 March, the European Council reaffirmed that the EU would continue to provide all relevant support to Moldova to strengthen the country’s resilience, security, stability and economy and help it on its path to EU accession.

(Cătălina Mihai | EURACTIV.ro)