Final vote in European Parliament: Trade liberalization between Moldova and EU extended by one year

Chisinau, July 11. /MOLDPRES/- The European Parliament voted today on the regulation that provides for the extension by one year of the suspension of import taxes and quotas applicable to products exported from the Republic of Moldova to the European Union.

"Through today's vote, we ensure that this new decision is adopted on time, before the current decision to suspend import duties expires, i.e. July 24, 2023," said MEP Siegfried Mureșan. According to him, the war in Ukraine strongly affected Moldova's international trade, and through this decision, the EU aims to offer the Republic of Moldova as much access to the European market as possible.

"Moldovan products that were exported to the east, passing through Ukraine, were left without a market. That is precisely why, in 2022, we have decided at the European level to suspend import taxes on the 7 categories of products subject to tariff quotas: tomatoes, garlic, table grapes, apples, cherries, plums and grape juice. Today we decided to extend this decision for another year", the MEP said.

The official added that "access to the European market has significantly helped the Republic of Moldova in the last year". "Overall, exports from Moldova to the EU increased from 1.8 billion euros in 2021 to 2.6 billion euros in 2022. We must continue to offer as much access as possible to Moldovan products in Europe. The EU is the largest internal market in the world. The free access of Moldovan products does not have any negative impact on the EU market, but it brings a great benefit to the producers of the Republic of Moldova", said Mureșan.

The MEP also claims that it is necessary to adopt "a decision for the permanent liberalization of trade between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, which will provide more predictability on the Moldovan market, which will thus be able to attract more important investors".

In early May, the European Commission proposed a one-year extension of the suspension of import taxes and quotas on Moldovan exports to the European Union.

Currently, the European Union is the main commercial partner of the Republic of Moldova, over 60 percent of our country's exports being directed to the European market.