European Parliament selects Moldovan legislature for vast cooperation programme

Chisinau, 3 July /MOLDPRES/- The Moldovan and European parliaments will extend cooperating within an action programme on strengthening institutional capacities. 

The Moldovan parliament was selected by the European parliament for a vast cooperation programme, for the first time ever, the parliament's communication and public relations department has reported.

The actions seen in the annual cooperation programme between the European and Moldovan parliaments were tackled by Speaker Andrian Candu and Rapporteur of European Parliament for Moldova, Lithuanian MEP Petras Austrevicius today.

The cooperation programme sees providing assistance to the parliament in approximation and adjustment of national legislation to the EU acquis, building capacities of parliamentary commissions, support of parliament's information offices, organisation of parliamentary seminars and survey visits to European Parliament, offering assistance to work out regulations on procedure, providing scholarships to employees within the Democracy scholarship programme.

Andrian Candu asked for the European Parliament's support to take over the best practices from European institutions in strengthening capacities of parliament, to speed up implementing the provisions of the Association Agreement. The speaker also referred to the importance of enforcing the e-parliament concept, meant to optimise the work of MPs and civil servants. "I hope that, via this action programme, we will enter a new cooperation level with European Parliament", he said.

The speaker said that government's hearings on implementation of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement would be organised at the parliament plenary meeting next week. Also, the MPs are to consider and adopt a programme on legislative priorities for transposing commitments assumed within the Association Agreement for the next two years.

Till the end of current spring session, the parliament is to approve a new law on prosecution and create a working group meant to ensure functionality of Gagauz autonomy and legislative provisions of Moldova versus the special status of Gagauzia.

"We have the ambition to create a new parliamentary majority  till late July and carry out the investiture of the government as soon as possible, in order to continue implementing reforms, as we have committed in relation with development partners. I hope that the new government will represent a new stage in implementing the Association Agreement and cooperation mechanism between institutions," he said.

The officials also exchanged opinions on the social and political situation in the country, developments in Gagauzia and Transnistrian region, regional context.

Petras Austrevicius pointed out that one year after ratification of the Association Agreement, Moldova had recorded tangible results. He encouraged the authorities to continue implementing reforms for the country's modernisation.

Austrevicius pays a visit to Moldova on 2-3 July. Today, he will visit the Comrat-based parliament's information office.

(Editor A. Raileanu)