Members of the European Parliament underlined on Wednesday 8 July Moldova’s “exemplary commitment” on the path towards its accession to the EU, as well as the steady progress it is making in carrying out the related reforms, despite significant internal and external obstacles such as Russia’s continuing hostile interference.
In the report by Sven Mikser (S&D, Estonian), which they adopted (505 votes in favour, 115 against and 45 abstentions), MEPs urge the EU Member States within the Council of the EU to open the clusters of accession negotiations without delay.
They call on the country to continue reforming its judicial system and fighting corruption, and stress the importance of continuing to tackle the influence of oligarchic structures.
The MEPs encourage continued efforts towards gradual sectoral integration into the EU single market and “ambitious, gradual and sustainable” liberalisation of trade. They welcome the “satisfactory” progress made in implementing the growth plan and the reform programme underpinning it.
The European Parliament denounces the “persistent hostile” Russian pressure and interference, as well as attempts to sow division within Moldovan society over its EU accession process. It also calls on the European Commission and the Member States to help the country tackle issues such as illicit financial flows, disinformation and electoral interference, notably through targeted sanctions and cyber-surveillance measures.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/ms2 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)