On 7 February, the Republic of Moldova launched a review of national legislation and an assessment of its compliance with European Union (EU) legislation, BNE Intellinews reports.
The step is crucial for the country’s European path, as it sets the stage for the accession talks, President Maia Sandu said on X platform. She noted:
“Today, in Brussels, Moldova began the screening process to assess to what extent our laws are in line with the EU standards. This exercise sets the stage for accession talks, marking a crucial step on our journey towards eventual EU membership. I’m looking forward to the next progress.”
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Cristina Gherasimov said that the goal of the meeting is to detail the next steps after the European Council’s decision in December 2023 to open accession negotiations with Moldova, namely the launch of the selection process. She noted:
“This process involves, in practice, the assessment of the compliance of national legislation, chapter by chapter, with the acquis communautaire. We also agreed on the calendar and procedural details of this complex stage in our European journey.”
Gherasimov announced that she had meetings in Brussels, including with the head of the General Directorate for Neighbourhood and EU Enlargement Negotiations, Gert-Jan Koopman. She said they discussed the next steps in Moldova’s EU accession process. Gherasimov added:
“We informed about the latest developments in the achievement of the three remaining conditionalities according to the European Commission’s report from November 2023. We agreed on the priority actions and the implementation calendar, placing a special emphasis on the continuation of reforms in the judicial system and the de-oligarchisation process.”
Moldova applied for EU membership on 3 March 2022. On 17 June 2022, the European Commission issued its opinion on the EU accession application. Then, on 23 June, the European Council granted Moldova candidate country status. At the end of 2023, the European Council decided to approve the opening of EU accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine.
