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Accession of Moldova to the European Union
Ongoing accession process of Moldova to the EU From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The accession of Moldova to the European Union (EU) is on the current agenda for future enlargement of the EU.
Following an application by Moldova in March 2022, Moldova was officially granted candidate status by the EU on 22 June 2022.
Moldova set a target date of 2030 for EU Accession.[6]
On 14 December 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova.[7] It is one of nine current EU candidate countries, together with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. Accession negotiations officially began on 25 June 2024, simultaneously with those with Ukraine.[8][9]
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History
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Perspective
European perspective
The European Parliament passed a resolution in 2014 stating that "in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as any other European country, have a European perspective and can apply for EU membership in compliance with the principles of democracy, respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, minority rights and ensuring the rule of rights".[10]
Membership application
After the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President of Moldova Maia Sandu signed the application for EU membership on 3 March 2022, together with Igor Grosu, President of the Moldovan Parliament; and Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of Moldova.[11]
Questionnaire
On 11 April 2022, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Nicu Popescu received a questionnaire from the European Commission (EC) following a meeting with the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi as a result of Moldova's application for candidacy.[12] The response to the first part of the questionnaire was submitted back to the EC through the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova's head Janis Mazeiks by the Prime Minister of Moldova Natalia Gavrilița on 22 April,[13] while the responses to the second part were submitted on 12 May 2022.[14]
Recommendation
On 17 June 2022, the European Commission formally recommended that the European Council grant the Republic of Moldova the perspective to become a member of the European Union and candidate status for accession, with a number of conditions for the opening of accession negotiations.[citation needed]
Candidacy
On 23 June 2022, Moldova received the status of candidate together with Ukraine. Both countries received candidate status under the commitment of structural reforms. Moldova's structural reforms include:
- improving economic efficiency
- reducing corruption
- better enforcing property rights
- reducing the size of state-owned enterprises
- improving energy efficiency
- improving the labour market
On 22 June 2023, EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi provided an oral update on Moldova's progress toward the reforms.[15]
On 13 September 2023, during the State of the European Union Address, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen stated that the future of Moldova is "in our Union".[16]
On 20 October 2024, Moldova narrowly voted to amend its constitution to include the aim of becoming a European Union member state in the 2024 Moldovan European Union membership constitutional referendum.
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Negotiations
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The 2023 enlargement package report was released by the European Commission on 8 November 2023, including updates on Moldova's acquis alignment and a recommendation for the Council to open accession negotiations.[17][18]
On 14 December 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova.[7] On 21 June 2024, the European Union agreed to start membership negotiations with Ukraine.[8][19] Accession negotiations officially opened on 25 June 2024, at the same time as those with Ukraine.[8][9] Accession negotiations on the first cluster, Fundamentals, were expected to be officially opened in April 2025.[20]
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Challenges
According to Octavian Calmîc, who served as Moldova's Minister of Economy from 2016 to 2017, the accession of Moldova to the EU presents potential benefits but also risks. These include the loss of agricultural productivity due to the concentration of land ownership and business operations in multinational corporations, similar to what has occurred in other EU countries. Calmîc has said that the loss of agricultural productivity could lead to a reduction in domestic food production and job losses in rural areas. Additionally, Moldova's local industries face challenges, particularly the risk of decreased competitiveness in both domestic and international markets, which could result in plant closures and unemployment. Furthermore, the energy sector is vulnerable, as Moldova may face high energy prices and a lack of investment in energy infrastructure, according to Calmîc.[93]
Treaties
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Perspective
Association Agreement
The EU Association Agreement (AA) was initialed on 29 November 2013 in Brussels.[94] It was signed on 27 June 2014 and was being provisionally applied (in particular the DCFTA) starting 1 September 2014.
On 1 July 2016, the Association Agreement (AA) between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova fully came into force, following ratification by all 31 signatories.[95]
The parties committed to co-operate and converge economic policy, legislation, and regulation across a broad range of areas, including equal rights for workers, the exchange of information and staff in the area of justice, the modernisation of Moldova's energy infrastructure, and access to the European Investment Bank. The parties committed to regular summit meetings, and meetings among ministers, other officials, and experts.[citation needed]
The Association Agreement commits Moldova to economic, judicial and financial reforms to converge its policies and legislation to those of the European Union.[citation needed]
The 30 parties are Moldova, the EU and Euratom and the 27 EU members.[citation needed]
Ratification
Malta
The ratification was performed in accordance with article 4(2)(b) of the Maltese European Union Act,[142] which reads that:
"Provided that with regard to treaties and international conventions which Malta may accede to as Member State of the European Union, and treaties and international conventions which Malta is bound to ratify in its own name or on behalf of the European Community by virtue of its membership within the European Union, these shall come into force one month following their being submitted in order to be discussed by the Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs."[143]
As the treaty was submitted to the Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs on 21 July 2014,[144] the treaty came into force as part of the Maltese legislation on 21 August 2014.[citation needed]
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The ratification was based on The European Union (Definition of Treaties) (Association Agreement) (Moldova) Order 2015, made in accordance with section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972, after having been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
The agreement applied to the United Kingdom as an EU-member state until Brexit on 31 January 2020. During the transition period that followed Brexit, the agreement until 31 December 2020, the agreement still applied to the UK. The UK and Moldova announced on 8 October 2020 an agreement replacing the EU-Moldova Association Agreement between them,[169] which was provisionally applied from 1 January 2021.[170]
Free trade area
The agreement established a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and Moldova, including "the removal of import duties for most goods traded between the EU and Moldova" and "broad mutual access to trade in services for both partners".[171]
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Public opinion
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Perspective
A poll in June 2018 found that 46% preferred that Moldova join the EU versus 36% that preferred to join the Eurasian Economic Union.[172] A March 2022 survey conducted by Magenta Consulting found that, after president Maia Sandu announced that her government had officially submitted an application for membership of the European Union, 61% of Moldovans (40% 'totally', 21% 'rather') were in favour of EU membership, up from 52% before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[173]
In May 2022, a poll in Moldova found that 56.1% supported EU membership.[175]
Two July 2023 polls in Moldova showed respectively 63% support[176] and 59% support[177] for Moldova joining the EU.
A referendum on changing the constitution to include EU accession as a goal took place on 20 October 2024. There were no voting stations in Transnistria; however, residents there were free to travel to other areas of Moldova to vote.[178] A small majority supported the referendum.[179][180][181]
Gagauzia
On 2 February 2014, the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia held two referendums on European integration. In one, 98.4% voted in favour of joining the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, while in the second 97.2% opposed further integration with the EU. 98.9% also supported the proposition that Gagauzia could declare independence if Moldova unified with Romania.[182] There is concern in Gagauzia that Moldova's integration with the EU could lead to such a unification with EU member Romania, which is unpopular in the autonomous region.[183]
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Schengen visa liberalisation
Moldova citizens have been able to travel to the Schengen area from 28 April 2014 without a visa. However, beginning in 2025, Moldovans will need to comply with the EU's ETIAS system before entering any of the EU/Schengen member countries.[184] The application of the new rule was postponed to at least April 2027.[185]
Unification of Moldova and Romania
There is some support for the unification of Moldova and Romania, which would incorporate the current territory of Moldova into Romania and thus into the EU.[186] About 44% of the Moldovans that were polled in 2021 supported such a scenario.[187]
Impact of joining
See also
- Moldova-European Union relations
- Moldova–European Union Association Agreement
- Moldova–Romania relations
- Association Trio
- Enlargement of the European Union
- European Moldova National Assembly
- Future enlargement of the European Union
- Accession of Armenia to the European Union
- Armenia–European Union relations
- Accession of Georgia to the European Union
- Georgia–European Union relations
- Accession of Ukraine to the European Union
- Ukraine–European Union relations
- Moldova–NATO relations
References
External links
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