Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu has announced that the country has successfully implemented 94 per cent of the European Commission’s recommendations. According to him, the European Commission recommended moving to the next stage of integration, namely the start of negotiations on Moldova’s accession to the EU.
Popescu stressed that three key actions are needed to start the negotiations. First, to ensure a transparent and meritocratic process of appointing judges and other key officials. Second, allocate funds for the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. And, third, to take actions for de-oligarchisation, including the regulation of financial flows.
The minister stressed that Moldova is considered in Brussels as a country with a positive reform dynamic among the candidate countries. According to the European Commission’s report, Moldova showed progress in all 33 points of compliance with the EU standards, with significant progress recorded in nine of them.
Popescu also said that Moldova has successfully implemented six of the nine recommendations submitted when it was granted candidate status in June 2022. These recommendations concern various fields, including the fight against organised crime, public administration reforms, the improvement of public procurement and the participation of civil society in decision-making.
In conclusion, Popescu stressed that Moldova is ready to start EU accession negotiations, expecting a positive decision of the European Council in mid-December. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration works actively with each EU member state to obtain the approval, preparing the necessary programmes and visits.
