On Thursday 3 May, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called on Moldova to move ahead and conclude the investigations into the massive tax fraud brought to light in 2014 "without any further delay".
"The investigations must be thorough, impartial and comprehensive, with a view to recovering the misappropriated funds and to bringing all those responsible to justice, irrespective of their status or political affiliation", she said, at the end of the Association Council between the EU and Moldova. "We have been demanding this for many years and we now expect this to happen, as the current situation is difficult for us to understand", she stated, adding that this is about the credibility of the anti-corruption reforms in the country. According to Moldova's Prime Minister Pavel Filip, a billion Leu, or US$60 million have been recovered of the US$1billion that disappeared. He said that the country's relevant authorities were working on a strategy for recovering the misappropriated funds.
Mogherini also spoke about the electoral reform, which is not satisfactory for the EU. "Transparent, inclusive and credible elections at central and local levels are of key importance. Any change to the electoral system should be based on a broad consensus among political forces, following a genuine consultation of civil society and in accordance with the recommendations of relevant international partners", she said, adding that the EU would "closely monitor the consequences of the new electoral code for multiparty democracy over the coming months". "There must be no obstacle that calls these elections into question", Filip stated. He added that his country was ready to welcome international observers for the elections in November.
More generally, the discussions during the Association Council covered progress in the reforms (see EUROPE 11812). According to Mogherini, it is essential for Chisinau to focus on the full implementation of reforms in priority sectors such as justice, the media, energy and business, "given that all the reforms must be supported and based on a continuing and concerted fight against corruption and strong support for the rule of law". According to Filip, although 2018 is an electoral year, his government intends to promote the reforms at "an increasing pace".
When questioned about the disbursement of the EU's €100 million macro-financial assistance, European Commissioner for Neighbhourhood Policy Johannes Hahn said that, according to the memorandum of understanding, the national authority for integrity, linked to the fight against corruption, was expected to be fully operational and that an additional budget should be approved for the anti-corruption institutions to be able to operate. "If these two conditions are fulfilled by the end of May – which should be feasible – and if the Monetary Fund report is positive, it should be possible to pay the first tranche before the summer, in other words in July. Otherwise, we enter immediately into an autumn perspective", he said (see EUROPE 11703). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)