On Wednesday 12 April, the ambassadors of the EU member states (Coreper) reached an agreement on the negotiation position of the Council regarding macro-financial assistance to Moldova, the Council announced in a press release.
The assistance, which could amount to €100 million with €60 million in loans and €40 million in subsidies, is aimed at supporting the country’s economic stabilisation agenda and structural reform, helping cover its needs for external financing over the next two years. It will reportedly be added to the resources provided by the IMF and other multilateral institutions.
In July 2016, the Moldovan authorities and IMF agreed on a loan of $178.7 million over three years.
Chișinău asked for further EU assistance in August 2015 and renewed this demand in March 2016. The EU’s assistance will reportedly be subject to a memorandum of understanding (MoU), including precise and specific conditions, especially on the rule of law, to be agreed between the Commission and Moldova.
The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU will start inter-institutional negotiations with the European Parliament once the Parliament has decided upon its position. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)