Moldova opened its accession negotiations with the EU on Tuesday 25 June in Luxembourg.
The country applied for membership in March 2022 and was granted candidate status in June of the same year. In December 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations.
This Tuesday “marks an important stage in our journey towards EU membership”, underlined Prime Minister Dorin Recean at the first Intergovernmental Conference. “We will spare no effort to achieve our strategic objective of becoming a member of the EU”, he promised, estimating that his country could be ready to join by 2030.
Belgian minister Hadja Lahbib made it clear that the EU was expecting Chisinau to make an ongoing political commitment to carry out the necessary reforms. She cited the rule of law, reform of the judicial system, reform of public administration, the fight against corruption and the rights of minorities. The Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi added that the country should strengthen its economy and make it more resilient, and improve its energy sovereignty by creating its own electricity capacity.
He announced that the screening of the acquis communautaire would begin “in 2 weeks”. “The aim of the exercise will be to sit down and look at the acquis communautaire and find out how it will be implemented in Moldova, by what deadline, under what conditions and with what capacity for application”, he explained.
Crucial referendum
Moldovans are set to vote on the EU in a referendum on 20 October. “In the autumn, the will of the people will confirm our future”, assured the Prime Minister.
“The population will have the chance not only to express its support for the EU publicly (...) but it will also be able to push the government and the entire administration” to work towards Moldova’s accession to the EU, added the Commissioner. In his view, particularly in the run-up to the vote, it will be “crucial to communicate to the general public the benefits and opportunities that the accession process creates for all Moldovan citizens”.
Moldova is facing interference from Russia, including disinformation operations, which Ms Lahbib sees as the country’s main challenge. While the elections will be of interest “on the other side of the border”, Mr Varhelyi said he was confident that Chisinau would be able to hold its own.
According to draft conclusions dated 25 June and seen by Agence Europe, the European Council is expected to pledge continued EU support to “strengthen the country’s resilience, security and stability in the face of destabilising activities by Russia, not least in the context of this autumn’s elections and referendum”. It should welcome the bilateral commitments made by Member States to support the EU Partnership Mission (EUPM Moldova) to strengthen the resilience of the security sector.
See the Council’s general position: https://aeur.eu/f/cto and the European Council’s draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/ctk (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)