Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area to expand in Moldova, including Transnistrian region

Chisinau, 24 December /MOLDPRES/- The EU’s Official Journal published the Decision No 1/2015 of Moldova-EU Association Council on enforcing the Title 5 of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement (Commerce and issues related to commerce) on the whole territory of Moldova, the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.

Starting from 1 January 2016, all Moldovan enterprises, including the ones from the Transnistrian region, will export goods to the EU under the same free trade regime.

The decision is based on the positive result of negotiations held on the issue. Thus, on 12 November 2015, the Moldovan Economics Ministry presented the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission (DGTRADE) a string of measures for trade facilitation with EU in Transnistrian region, agreed upon with Tiraspol. The draft was approved in the competent institutions from Chisinau and Brussels. Acting Prime Minister, head of Moldova-EU Association Council Gheorghe Brega approved the draft on 18 December 2015.

Under this decision, the Moldovan authorities provide access to all internal procedures for issuing documents accompanying goods meant for export to EU market transparently and fairly, and the economic agents are called to use them. In the technical terms, the mechanisms and institutions for authorizing foreign trade relations are similar to the current ones, which guarantees that their implementation will be possible just starting from 1 January 2016. Yet, to benefit from the trade facilities, the Transnistrian region committed, in a determined period of time, to provide preferential conditions for access to goods and services coming from EU, as well as to carry out string of adjustments of the economic and fiscal framework. If needed and required, there is opportunity to provide assistance necessary for the region to in implement the trade facilitation measures.

The enforcement of the provisions related to trade and trade aspects will be assessed during ten months after the adoption of the decision, and in continuation, once a year, by taking needed measures.

The Moldovan government’s leadership demands that the state institutions in charge treat with responsibility and openess the Transnistrian enterprises at this important stage, within free trade rules. Also, it is important that the economic agents should be informed correctly and in time about the procedures made available to them for as as convenient as possible commercial activity with EU partners. 

(Editor A. Raileanu)