Moldova must solve arrears in implementation of EU laws into national legislation in 2016, official says

Chisinau, 4 February /MOLDPRES/-The head of the Economics Ministry’s general department for international economic cooperation, Inga Ionesii held a news conference today. According to her, the implementation agenda of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) for 2016 aims to remove all arrears in the transposition of EU documents into the national legislation, speed up the adoption of the law package (15 draft laws) by the parliament and carry out legislative initiatives to align the Moldovan legal framework with the acquis communitaire.

As for the results of the first year of provisional implementation of the Association Agreement and DCFTA, Ionesii touched upon more progresses registered in the implementation of the latter: in the energy sector- the adoption by the parliament in first reading of a new law on natural gas, as well as the approval by the government of a draft law on electricity; approval of new laws on metrology and quality infrastructure, and also the law on market supervision adopted by the parliament in first reading. According to Ionesii, Moldova fulfilled 56 per cent, or 168 actions out of 300, provided in the national action plan on the implementation of Moldova-EU Association Agreement for 2014-2014 during 1 September 2014 and December 2015.  

Moldova’s main successes in the implementation of DCFTA’s commitments in the energy sector were the diversification of the gas supply sources and putting Ungheni-Iasi gas pipeline into service. Moldova also succeeded to ensure the legal framework needed to enforce natural gas and electricity Moldovan- Romanian interconnection projects, with both countries’ signing a memorandum of understanding to this effect, on 21 May 2015.

The decision to enlarge the enforcement of the V Title stipulated in Moldova-EU Association Agreement (trade and related issues) on 1 January 2016 all over Moldova was another important subject in 2015. Following the consultations, the EU published the decision of Moldova-EU Association Board in the Official Journal, based on set of measures to facilitate EU trade in the breakaway Transnistrian region. Measurs were previously agreed with Tiraspol. Therefore, 40 per cent of the Transistrian exports hit the EU market, and other 35 per cent are directed towards Moldova. “To this effect, the working group plans on holding a meeting this year to discuss economy issues and aspects related to the implementation of the roadmap and achievements of the Transnistrian side,” Ionesii noted.

Referring to the access of goods on the market and turning EU tariff export quotas to good account, the official said Moldova’s exports to EU countries accounted for 1 billion 119.3 million dollars on January-November 2015, with a 62.1-per-cent quota of the total amount of exports. During the same times, Moldova’s imports from EU countries reached 1 billion 797.3 million dollars, accounting for 49.5 per cent of the total amount of imports.

Moldova’s main export partners are Romania, Italy, UK and Northern Ireland, Germany, France, Poland and Netherlands. Romania, Germany, Italy and Poland are Moldova’s main import partners.

(Reporter A. Mardare, Editor A. Raileanu)