Moldova-EU Parliamentary Association Committee calls for speeding up Moldova's gradual integration into EU and single market

Chisinau, Dec. 11 /MOLDPRES/- The Republic of Moldova - European Union Parliamentary Association Committee yesterday adopted a declaration at the end of the 15th meeting. In the document, the lawmakers ask the European Parliament to open a permanent office in Chisinau and advocate accelerating the gradual integration of our country into the EU and the Single Market.

According to the document approved by the committee, the permanent office in Chisinau is needed to assist the Moldovan authorities during the negotiation process, enhancing the dialog between the secretariats of the two parliaments and establishing a permanent presence of the staff of one parliament in the other.

The declaration underlines the progress made by our country in the EU accession process and recommends additional measures to support Moldova's European path.

"We have reconfirmed that our country is committed and determined to see through the justice reform and, in the first half of 2025, to already open negotiations on Cluster 1, Fundamental Values. We are aware that the process of Moldova's accession to the European Union should not be just about bureaucracy or administration. We need to have positive effects on the living standards of citizens", said Doina Gherman, co-head of the CPA Moldova-EU.

"We are committed to the swift adoption of Moldova's 1.8 billion euro Growth Plan in the European Parliament. We express our support for permanent trade liberalization between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union to ensure predictability and increase attractiveness for investors. We want the Republic of Moldova to be fully included in the European roaming package for all Member States", said the co-head of the CPA RM-EU, Siegfried Mureșan.

The declaration strongly condemns Russia's ongoing hybrid war against the Republic of Moldova, waged with the aim of moving our country away from the pro-European trajectory. The document denounces Russia's malicious activities, interference and hybrid operations including through its pro-Russian proxies and Russian-sponsored local actors, in particular, before and during the constitutional referendum on EU integration and the presidential elections.

The Parliamentary Association Committee reiterates its call on the Russian authorities to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, to cease attempts to destabilize the country, to undermine the constitutional order and democratic institutions, and to stop blackmailing with gas exports. The CPA also calls on the EU to increase its support for the efforts of the Moldovan authorities to counter such interference in the country's democratic process.

The EU-Moldova CPA is the parliamentary forum of the EU- Moldova Association Agreement. It is composed of members appointed by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and the European Parliament, who meet twice a year, alternately in Chisinau and Brussels.